


Written from the Heart

by RaeTheSaltyBae



Series: Written From the Heart [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: A lot of ASL, Daddy Sabo, F/F, F/M, M/M, My boys are so sweet, pregnant koala
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-19 05:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16527995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeTheSaltyBae/pseuds/RaeTheSaltyBae
Summary: Sabo is a world renowned writer. His books, written about a certain pirate with a distinctive straw hat, sell out almost instantly. While his books are detailed beautifully, his own life is something he doesn't detail to his fans.





	1. October 1st

_"Stop it! Stop fighting!" The princess clenched her fists, slamming them on the stone wall in front of her. Her breath hitched, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please, stop! Stop fighting!" She was too high up however, her voice unable to be heard by the rebel soldiers fighting beneath her._

Sabo was exhausted. He’d been writing for over three hours, focused intently on his computer screen as he tapped furiously at his keyboard. He had a deadline to make for this book; It was an extremely popular young adult series focusing on a young pirate. His books sold out rather quickly, as the readers seemed to find his characters both entertaining and very relatable.

He yawned, eyes watering slightly as he pushed his keyboard away, grunting to himself. He still had a week to finish it anyway, he was sure the editors would understand. He rubbed his eyes, pushing away from his desk as he stood, looking around the room. He preferred to work from home, having set up a computer desk across from a plush leather couch. The room had three windows, allowing it to fill with natural light throughout the day, and a skylight on the ceiling for the moonlight in the night. He loved it, being able to see the beauty of the universe while he worked.

“Sabo,” There was a gentle voice from the door and he turned, a smile breaking across his face. “You coming to bed soon?”

In the doorway was his wife, whom he’d lovingly nicknamed Koala quite early into their relationship. She was a beautiful woman, with dark brown hair and wide, hazel eyes. Slender, yet muscular, appropriate for a karate instructor such as herself. “Yeah, just had to finish the chapter.” The blonde yawned again, pulling off his gloves as he walked towards the woman, “I think the fans will really like this one.”

Koala laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, standing on her toes just to reach him. “I think they will too...considering they love everything you write.” She leaned in a bit closer, pecking his lips softly.

“Now come on, your pregnant wife wants to sleep.” He rolled his eyes, scooping the woman up bridal style before heading towards their bedroom. Their house was small, with three bedrooms and an office space. The first bedroom was theirs, containing a queen sized bed and a set of chairs. The window had a bench built into it, where Koala spent most of her free afternoons reading and drinking her oolong tea. The two had decorated the room with four bookshelves, all of them stocked full of books of every type. Koala enjoyed action novels and non fiction books about history. Sabo however loved romance and fantasy; his favorites were medieval stories involving dragons. Lots and lots of dragons. He enjoyed historical stories as well however, using real figures as inspiration for his novels.

Sabo gently lay the woman down atop their bed, kissing her forehead lightly before standing up straight.

“Just a few more days of work and this book will be done!” He grinned, rubbing her cheek lightly with the pad of his thumb, “Can you believe it? Book three!” 

The older woman chuckled and cupped his cheeks, kissing his nose. “I believe it, and I couldn’t be more proud of you.” 

“You give me too much credit.” He stood up straight, beginning to unbutton his shirt. “I have help.”

“Still,” she sat up, running her fingers across the surface of their bed, “It’s an accomplishment.”

Sabo grinned, tossing his shirt lazily across the top of one of the chairs, shimmying out of his trousers. He climbed onto the bed and under the covers, wrapping his arms around the woman’s body and pulling her flush against his chest.

“You’re cold!” The woman laughed and squirmed in his grip, “Sabooo!”

“Oh, am I?” He leaned in, holding her tighter and giving her a ridiculous blown kiss on her cheek. “Warm me up then, my little Koala bear!”

She tried to struggle against him but eventually gave in, closing her eyes as she nuzzled against his chest, placing a soft kiss against the scar on his shoulder.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

 

* * *

 

Sabo picked up his coffee mug, taking a long sip of the warm contents. He wasn’t sure it could even be called coffee at this point, as it was mainly sugar and flavored creamer he was drinking. Koala liked to make fun of his drink choices, but never failed to make the perfect pumpkin spice flavored coffee for him while he was working. “I think we’re done,” he grinned, scrolling through the pages on his screen before eagerly hitting print.

This was his favorite part besides getting published, “Better call Robin and let her know.” He reached for his cell phone, smiling softly at the wallpaper before running his thumb across the faces there. It was him and his brothers as kids, their chubby faces pressed against each other’s as they grinned up at the camera pointed at them. He let out a soft sigh, putting in his password, (which was dragon), before dialing the raven haired woman’s phone. It only took a few rings before she answered, her voice soft at the other end.

“ _Baroque work books, Nico Robin speaking._ ”

“Hey Robin!” Sabo’s voice was cheery as usual, “Book three is finished, I’ll drop it off in a few hours.”

“ _Perfect timing as usual, Sabo._ ” You could hear the smile on her face as she leaned back in her chair, “ _Can’t wait to see what trouble the crew gets into this time._ ”

“Oh it’s great!” The blonde walked over to his printed, watching as it spit out page after page of his novel. “This book is all about a desert princess and a country in the midst of a civil war. It's going to be one of the more emotional and serious books.”

The older woman let out a soft chuckle, tapping her pencil against the desk. “ _Sounds incredible. Bring it by before lunch and I’ll get to it before dinner._ ”

He nodded to himself, thanking the woman before hanging up. He placed his phone down on the desk as he picked up the thick stack of warm paper the printer had finally finished giving him, grinning at the top page.

‘ _The adventures of Straw Hat Luffy, book three: Adventures with the Alabasta Princess._ ’

 

* * *

 

Ace let out a long yawn as he tossed his bag to the side, removing his hat and hanging it up on the hook by the front door.

“Marco!” His voice rang out into the seemingly empty house as he yawned again, kicking off his shoes. “Babe, are you home?”

“In the kitchen!”

The freckled man grinned and pulled off his t-shirt, throwing it onto the back of the couch as he started walking towards the source of the voice. He stepped into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around his lover from behind and holding him tight against his chest. “Mmm...You smell like pineapples...”

Marco rolled his eyes, reaching back and flicking the younger man’s nose lightly. “That’s because I was cooking pineapple chicken, if you don’t want it, don’t eat any.”

“But I do!” Ace looked up, giving the man his best puppy eyes and a puffed out cheek pout. “I love your food, don’t make me starve after such a long day of building!”

The blonde let out a soft laugh, turning around in his grip as he wrapped his arms around him. He stared down at the man’s dark brown eyes, unable to stop himself as he broke out into a grin. The man was adorable. His lightly tanned skin, absolutely covered with freckles, his soft lips that were always either in a grin or a childish pout. “You’re so cute, you know that?” He leaned down, tilting his chin up lightly so he could kiss him. “My cute boyfriend...”

“Hey!” The younger man laughed and pushed him away slightly, “I’m an adult! I’m manly!”

“Sure, sure...” Marco poked his nose, pulling away from him. “Go wash up for dinner.”

Ace nodded, giving the man one last kiss before stepping away. He pulled out his phone, unlocking it before opening up his brother’s contact information. He clicked the number, bringing the phone up to his ear as he made his way down the hall.

“ _Sabo here._ ”

“Hey bro,” He stepped into his bedroom, pushing at the waistband of his jeans, “You got plans for lunch tomorrow?”

The blonde hummed, shaking his head on the other side of the call. “ _Don’t think so. Turned in my book to Robin this afternoon so I don’t have any more work until she gives me the edits._ ”

“Great! We can get lunch with Luffy!” Ace reached into his dresser, grabbing a pair of orange and black pajama pants, “Meet me at the usual spot, one o’clock?”

“ _Sounds good to me. I’ll let Luffy know._ ”

“Awesome, see you then.” He hung up the call before setting his phone on the top of his dresser, unzipping his work pants as he kicked them off. He pulled on his pajamas, grabbing his phone again before exiting the bedroom and padding down the hall. His and Marco’s home was small and cozy, just the way they liked it. It was two bedrooms and a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. His favorite part of the house (besides their bedroom) was the fireplace in the living area, where him and Marco liked to cuddle on cold winter nights.

“Heard anything today?”

He was snapped out of his thoughts by his boyfriend’s voice, sighing softly. “Not today. Which is good. No news is good news when it comes to this.”

Marco set two plates on the kitchen table, waving the man over. “I’m sure it’ll be better in a few days.”

Ace nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah...I’m sure.”

 

* * *

 

“Luffy!” Sabo grinned as he stepped into the small room, setting his bag down. “Hey bro!”

“Sabo!” Luffy looked up at his big brother with a wide grin, eyes practically sparkling. “You made it for lunch!”

The blonde nodded, setting a stack of papers in the teens lap. “Printed out a copy of book three for you, let me know what you think.”

“I love reading Sabo’s work!” Luffy picked up the stack, eagerly turning to the first page.

“Do you have your notes for the next chapter?” He asked, glancing at the bedside table. Sabo’s books were written by himself, in the sense that he typed everything out and made it readable, but the ideas were all from his little brother. Luffy had an incredible imagination and the ability to create universes, but didn’t have the skill or energy to make them into full books. He had a dream of getting his story out to the public, and Sabo had a dream of becoming a writer. Together they made the perfect team.

“Yeah! My journal is over there!” Luffy pointed to the table across the room, not taking his eyes off the papers in his hands.

Sabo stood, wandering over to the table and picking up the younger man’s journal. He opened it up, flicking through the pages to the newest addition. “An island in the sky?” He grinned, looking up at him. “Really?”

“Yeah!” Luffy looked up as well, “The people there are like— like angels! They have wings!” He brought his hands up, poking two fingers up behind his head, “And they have hair like antennas! With balls on the ends! Like this!”

The blonde nodded as he listened, sitting down beside the bed once again. “It sounds really cool, Luffy. I’m sure the fans will love it.”

“Course they will!” He turned to the next page of the book in his hands, humming softly. Sabo loved coming to visit his little brother. Every moment he got to spend with him was a treasure; he loved just getting to sit and watch him read, or sleep, or just play a simple game on his phone. The young man’s life was precious to him and everyone around them.

“I’m here!” Ace stepped inside the room, holding a large plastic bag, “I brought lunch from the Baratie!”

Luffy’s head shot up, practically beginning to drool at just the thought of food. “Ace, you’re the best!”

The freckled man laughed and handed him a large styrofoam container, “Sanji made lots of meat for you. Don’t eat it too fast. And eat the vegetables! I’m tired of Sanji yelling at me when you don’t eat them.”

Luffy nodded, popping open the container and beginning to scarf down the food, eyes locked on the papers in his lap.

“So, Sabo.” Ace glanced up at the blonde, “How are you and Kaitlyn?”

“Me and Koala?” He grinned, crossing his arms. “Great! We painted the nursery this week, she just hit six months.”

“You know the sex yet?”

“Not yet, we want it to be a surprise.” Sabo crossed his legs, leaning back in his chair. He closed his eyes, listening to the sound of rain pattering against the nearby window. Moments he could spend with his little brother were beautiful; moments he could spend with both his brothers were priceless.

He just wanted to soak the moment in and memorize the feeling. Besides, who knew how long it would be before a new heart would come in? Luffy only had so much longer confined to the hospital before he succumbed to his heart. Late stage heart disease wasn’t something you treated with apple juice and bedrest.


	2. October 8th

Law knocked a few times on the doorway to the hospital room, smiling softly. “Oh, hey Sabo, Ace.”

Both men looked up at the sound of their names, giving small waves to the man.

“Hey.”

“Yo.”

“Torao!” Luffy sat up, setting the items in his lap on his bedside table, opening his arms. “Are you here as my boyfriend or my doctor?”

The older man let out a laugh, leaning down and kissing his forehead. Law had dropped the younger as a patient as soon as they’d begun their romantic affair, but Luffy still seemed convinced that he was going to start being his doctor again.

“Boyfriend. Although as a doctor I’m required to keep an eye on your vitals anyway.” He reached up, ruffling the young man’s hair.

“Boo!” Luffy pouted, cheeks puffed out like his older brother’s did when he was upset, “No more doctor stuff today!”

Ace coughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, Law, are the most recent test results back?

He paused, sighing as he nodded. “They are...No change. His heart is still too weak. The pacemaker didn’t seem to help at all.”

Luffy reached up, gently tracing the scar on his chest with the pads of his fingers as he listened to the older man talk. He’d been in and out of the hospital his whole life, he could even remember the first time. He had been playing outside with Ace and Sabo, and they’d been running through the forests together before the smaller boy had fainted right there in a bush. He’d never forget the look on his brother’s face when he woke up...he could barely see his freckles with the amount of tears streaming down his cheeks. He had never seen such an expression on his brother’s face and he never wanted to see it again.

“When can I go home?” The young man’s voice was small as he brought his head up to look at the doctor. “I want to go home and be with Ace and Sabo.” 

“Luffy you know you can’t,” Ace sat up, reaching out to take his brother’s hand. “You have to stay here and—“

“I don’t want to anymore!” Luffy yanked his hand away, eyes wide. “I want to be home! I want to help with Sabo’s baby! I want to have a real bed and cook with Ace! And get to eat Marco’s food, and I want to see all Koala’s students!”

Sabo bit his lip, leaning forward. “T-the baby isn’t even here yet, Luffy! Don’t worry, you have time!” 

“Yeah, listen to Sabo.” The freckled man bit his lip, “You’ll over exert yourself—“

“No!” He snapped, “I don’t want to be careful anymore, I don’t want to stay calm! I hate this! I’m stuck in here! I don’t care about the heart anymore! I—“

Law had efficiently shushed the man by snapping an oxygen mask to his face, eyes wide as he stared at the heart monitor beside the bed. Luffy’s heart had sped up in his anger, causing the machine to beep loudly in the doctor’s ears. He grabbed the stethoscope from around his neck, as he had just finished his own shift, placing the small metal piece against his chest.

“Torao please,” The brunette whined and pushed against him, “You said you were my boyfriend!”

“I’m also a doctor.” He kept his voice soft, hand moving slowly around his chest. “Luffy...I know how much you hate being stuck here. But your heart just...It doesn’t like leaving here. And if something happens to you while you’re not in this bed, I...”

Luffy stayed silent for a few moments before looking up at his brothers, biting his lip. The two were on the edge of their seats, literally, expressions full of both concern and terror. He let out a small sigh, gripping his blanket.

“I’m sorry...” he closed his eyes, “I’m really sorry...”

Law bit his lip, setting his stethoscope down before tilting the younger’s head up.

“Luffy...no one is expecting you to sit here and be okay. You’re allowed to be angry, you’re allowed to hate this god awful hospital bed.” He leaned in, kissing him softly, “But you’re not allowed to give up. We’re going to find You a heart, I promised that, remember?”

Luffy opened his eyes, nodding slowly. “You did promise me that.”

“And do I break promises about hearts?” He asked, lacing his fingers together with the younger man’s.

Luffy grinned, squeezing his hand tightly before kissing him again.

“No, you don’t.”

“No, I don’t.” He grinned and pulled him closer,threading his hands through his hair as he kissed him. 

Ace rolled his eyes, over exaggerating his cough to get the man’s attention and to pull him off his little brother. “Law, uh, didn’t you say you got something for him?”

Luffy gasped, looking up at him with wide eyes. “You got me a present? Traffy! That’s so sweet!”

He pulled back, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He was never too good at showing emotion or affection, but Luffy’s reactions to him getting anything, even the smallest gifts, was precious enough to make him want to do it more. 

“Uh...” he reached into his lab coat, pulling out a small black box. “It was supposed to be a surprise, but...” he held it out to the younger man, looking away shyly.

Luffy grabbed the box from him, popping it open before pausing. His eyes widened further as he picked up the necklace. It was a silver heart shaped pendant, a single black gem hanging from the bottom. There were four gems lining the inside, curved with the edge of the heart. One black, one white, one purple and one grey.

“Oh my god, Law...” he looked up, grinning. “It’s my flag!”

Law nodded, blushing lightly. “You were talking about how you didn’t have anything with the asexual flag...And I wanted you to have something to keep with you when I wasn’t around...” he smiled, stepping towards the bed as the man had held it out eagerly. He took hold of the silver chain, helping clip it around his neck. “You like it?”

“I love it!” He reached up, touching it lightly. “It’s perfect, Torao!”

The man grinned, cupping his cheek softly as he kissed him. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

 

* * *

 

The next few days passed as usual, or as usual as things could get in the young man’s life anymore. More tests every day, more doctors promising miracle cures to help his heart work properly once again, and more threats of bodily harm from Ace if said doctors even tried to come near him with their stupid ideas. It was times like this that Luffy especially hated the hospital. He knew his friends were out having fun without him, he knew they were having adventures and making memories and where was he? Stuck in a hospital bed.

There was a gentle knock from the doorway that caused him to sit up, a smile creeping across his cheeks. He knew his friends knocks well by now. 

“Nami!” He sat up further, grin stretching across his cheeks as the red haired woman stepped inside the room, hand intertwined with that of her girlfriend’s. “You’re back! How was it? Did you guys have fun? Did you get to ride a camel?”

“Luffy, one question at a time!” She made her way over to the bed, setting a large wicker basket down on his lap. “Yes, Vivi and I had a wonderful time visiting her family in Egypt. It was beautiful and I got very sunburnt.” She leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on his temple.

The brunette had begun to dig into the goodies in the basket, thrilled at the sight of so many tangerines. Nami’s family owned the best tangerine orchard in the world, at least by Luffy’s standards, and he was one of the only people who got baskets of the fruit for free!

“How are you feeling today, Luffy?” Vivi reached up, gently pushing his bangs back, “You’re looking well!”

He paused, giving a shrug before continuing to tear into the fruit in his hands. “I guess I’m okay...Torao said my heart isn’t getting worse but it’s not getting better either...” he looked up then, giving them a grin, “But it gets more fun when I have visitors!”

Vivi returned his grin right away, leaning down and pulling him into a hug. “Well my day gets better when I get to see you too!”

Luffy nuzzled against the crook of her neck, holding the woman tight. Vivi and Nami had been dating since middle school, and she was not only Nami’s best friend, but one of Luffy’s best friends as well.

“Oh!” Nami stepped closer to the bedside table then, picking up the large manuscript, “Is this book three? Sabo finished it?”

“Yeah! It’s really good, I just read it!” The younger man pulled another slice out of his tangerine, “Sabo did a great job again!”

She hummed softly, flipping open the the first page to see the illustrations that he always included.

“Oh my god!” She gasped, holding it open for the other woman to see, “Look at how beautiful he made you, Vivi!”

Vivi glanced over, blushing heavily as she looked at the illustration. Her character had not been changed much from her usual appearance, but her hair had definitely been drawn much longer, and her pet duck Carue was at least fifteen times larger than he normally was. She had been drawn in an incredibly royal looking dress, with layers of white, blue and pink fabric fluttering lightly in the breeze. “Oh wow…” She grinned, gently touching the drawing. “Look at how big Carue is!”

“He’s a fighter!” Luffy sat up further, “Supersonic duck squad! He’s super fast, and he’s strong, too!” He leaned back once again, his eyes beginning to droop. It was late at night, and his body really didn’t like it when he stayed up late or got too excited, his heart got too excited as well, and it couldn’t handle that as well as it should have been able to.

Nami cooed softly, gently cupping his cheek. “You should get some sleep, kid. I’ll come by for lunch sometime soon.” She leaned in, kissing his temple.

“Thanks for coming by,” he grinned, “I missed you guys.”

“We missed you too.” Nami gave one last wave to her friend before walking out, closing the door slowly.

 

* * *

 

Ace had his arms wrapped around his boyfriend, holding the man tight against his chest. He loved being the big spoon, it was his favorite thing.

“Hey Marco?” His voice was soft, barely a whisper between his shoulder blades.

“Mm?” Marco sounded partially asleep, but still interested in what the man was going to say.

“If I die soon...” he closed his eyes, feeling the man tense up. “Give my heart to Luffy...Okay?”

The blonde turned around in his grasp, gently cupping his cheeks. “Ace, quit it with the morbid stuff, okay? You’re not going to die anytime soon and Luffy will get a heart.” He leaned down, kissing his forehead softly.

“But...what if he doesn’t? And my heart is healthy! I mean...I drink but I don’t smoke! And I eat well!” He sounded hurt, just wanting to be a good brother. He loved Luffy, more than he loved anything else. Except Sabo and Marco, of course, but Luffy would always be on top. “I can’t let him die if my heart is just going to go to waste!”

“We’re not talking about this, Ace...” The blonde sighed, rubbing his back. “You’re tired and upset...we’ll talk about it another time when you’re not so tired.”

“But we need to!” Ace sat up, frowning. “Luffy’s my brother, Marco! If he needs a heart and I die, make sure he takes it! Promise me!”

Marco stared up at the man for a few moments before sighing, realizing there was no arguing with him. When he was like this, there was no way he could get through to him. “Fine...yes, I promise, okay?”

Ace nodded, looking down at the bed. “Thank you...” he moved closer to him, wrapping his arms around his neck. “Thank you, Marco.”

“Of course, Ace.”


	3. October 15th

“Sabo?”

Koala’s voice was soft as she turned her head, looking back at the blonde. “Sabo?”

“Hm?” He blinked a few times to bring himself back to reality, hands continuing to rub circles against her stomach. “Did you say something?”

She nodded, adjusting her position so she was facing him, reaching up and cupping his cheek. “Yeah...You just got lost in thought again.”

“Ah, so I did...” he sighed, closing his eyes. “I’m just worried about Luffy, you know? And in turn...Ace. You know how much Ace cares about him.”

“I do,” She laughed softly, “He loves Luffy just as much as you do. You guys are all just so cute.”

Sabo blushed, glancing away from her. He wasn’t cute, he was sexy. And manly.

“Sabo,” She frowned, rubbing his cheek lightly. “You’ve done everything you possibly can. If anything happens, it isn’t your fault. Okay?”

He nodded, pulling her closer and holding her as tight as he could with her belly squished between them. “One thing though...”

Koala rose an eyebrow, pulling back just enough to see his expression. “Sabo. No. No what ifs, no morbid stuff. We are thinking about life and how we still need to buy diapers and a changing table.” She poked his nose lightly, “We think about life, not death. Okay?”

He bit his lip, giving his wife a slow nod. “Yeah...Okay.” He leaned in, kissing her softly, “Get some sleep then.”

* * *

 

Luffy furrowed his brows, one hand gently rubbing his necklace, the other tapping the table in front of him. He’d been given permission to leave his room for a bit, as long as he kept his monitors with him at all times, and promised to return if he felt too sick.

He’d ended up in one of the recreation rooms, excited to find that they’d updated the amount of puzzles and board games for the patients to occupy their time with. The doctors allowed him to exercise when he wanted to, but today felt like a puzzle day.

Which was why he was staring down at his puzzle angrily, eyes narrowed. He was stuck again, and he hated getting stuck. This is where Ace would usually try and jump in to help, but eventually would get stumped and Sabo would have to finish it for both of them.

“You’re supposed to do the edges first, it makes things easier.”

“I tried that! But I can’t find the corners,” Luffy pouted, before perking up as he suddenly recognized the voice behind him. He sat up, turning in his chair. “Sanji!”

“Hey!” The blonde leaned down, pulling him into a hug. “Sorry I haven’t gotten to come visit lately, we’ve been swamped.”

He nodded in understanding, gesturing to the seat beside him, “Come help me! Unless you brought Zoro, he’s the worst at puzzles.”

Sanji gave a soft snort, nodding as he took the seat offered to him. “Yeah, Marimo would make it worse.” He reached over, moving a few of the pieces closer. “What’s this supposed to look like?”

“A monkey.” Luffy looked up, giving the man a big grin.

“Course it’s a monkey.” He rolled his eyes, continuing to look for edge pieces.

Luffy was silent for a moment before looking up again. Sanji’s expression was calm as he looked across the pieces, pushing a few around. He loved it when Sanji came to visit, and it wasn’t just because he usually brought food. His visits meant he didn’t have to think about being sick for a bit, since Sanji wasn’t one to bring it up. He got to hear stories about his other friends and what they were doing outside the hospital walls, although his favorites were always about Zoro. Sanji liked to pretend that him and Zoro didn’t get along, but Luffy could see right through it.

“How’s Zoro?”

Sanji dropped the piece he was holding, blushing lightly as he picked it right back up.  
“He’s good.” He looked over, smiling. “Same as usual.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “He said he’d come by today if he got a chance.”

Luffy nodded, humming softly as he continued working on his part of the puzzle.  
“Nami and Vivi got back a few days ago.” He looked up, “They stopped by. Nami’s really burnt.”

The blonde laughed and shook his head, chewing on his bottom lip the way he always did when he wanted a cigarette. “Doesn’t surprise me. She’s too pale for the desert.” He reached out, picking up another puzzle piece. “I’m glad they had fun though.”

“Mhm.” Luffy leaned against the man’s shoulder, closing his eyes. “I wish I could do stuff like that...I wanna go fun places with Law!”

Sanji looked down, sighing softly as he pulled the brunette closer. “And you will...You just have to wait a bit longer.”

He whined softly, sticking out his tongue. “That’s what everyone says!” He opened his eyes again, looking up at him. “I smell food. Did you bring me food?”

The blonde rolled his eyes, reaching to the floor where he’d placed a small picnic basket. “Yeah, I brought food. Tried some new recipes, I’d like to hear what you think.”

“Oh cool!” He reached for the basket, laughing. “Thanks Sanji!” He hummed softly, pulling it open as he began digging through the contents.

“What, nothing for me?”

Luffy gasped, head shooting up as he heard the man’s voice. He’d known Zoro longer than anyone!  
“Zoro!” He held his arms up for a hug, eyes wide.

Zoro laughed and leaned down, hugging him from his spot in the chair. “Hey Luffy.”

“Did you come for me or Sanji?” He asked, quickly covering his grin.

The man blushed, looking away in embarrassment. “Cook said he’d be here, thought it would be fun for us all to hang out again.”

Luffy puffed out his cheeks, pouting up at him. He knew the two were dating, it was obvious, but neither one of them wanted to admit it out loud.

“If my heart gives out before you guys finally admit you’re in love, I’m gonna come back and haunt you both.”

“Luffy!” Zoro blushed heavily, clenching his jaw. It’s not that he didn’t want to tell everyone, he would love that. But Sanji wasn’t as open and casual with his sexuality just yet. “Just drop it, okay?”

“Why?” Sanji leaned back in his chair, chewing casually on a sucker he’d found in his jacket. “Zoro, what’s the point anymore? He figured it out, and we don’t have to tell everyone, just Luffy. Give him this one, he’s sick.” He wrapped an arm around Luffy, kissing his cheek.

“Yeah Zoro, I’m sick! Be nice!” He laughed and stuck his tongue out, cuddling closer to the blonde. He closed his eyes, holding on tight to the man’s shirt.

Luffy was silent for a bit as Sanji continued to work on the puzzle, glancing down at him every few moments.  
“I want to go back to my room now...” he reached up, rubbing his chest lightly. “Can you call Law?”

Zoro was the first to stand up, rushing over to the younger man. “What’s wrong? You think you can walk?” He helped him sit up, allowing Sanji to rush into the hall to find a nurse and possibly a wheelchair.

“No...” he reached out, gripping Zoro’s arm. “My chest hurts—“ he looked up, eyes wide.

“Sanji!” Zoro stood, wrapping his arm around the Luffy’s shoulders and helping him stay standing. “Hurry up!”

 

* * *

  
Luffy had passed out shortly after the chest pain started, his heart beat increasing and worsening the pain and discomfort. He was close enough to his hospital room that they were able to get him back into bed before anything got much worse. They were quickly able to stabilize him, his heart beat returning to normal.

He blinked slowly, looking around the room as he felt a mask pressing against his face. He reached up, trying to push it off.

“Luffy!” Sanji was practically in tears when he noticed him beginning to wake up, one hand squeezing Zoro’s tightly. They were standing inches apart from each other; it was obvious they had been embracing just moments prior. “You’re awake!”

He nodded, pulling the mask off. “Did I pass out...?” He looked over, trying to sit up. “Dammit...”

“Hey, don’t push yourself.” Zoro reached over, helping him lay back down. “Just relax. We don’t know what caused the pain yet.”

Luffy paused, looking down at his lap.

“I’ll be okay for now...you guys can go home.” He looked up, giving them both a big grin. “Thanks for coming.”

Sanji bit his lip, glancing to Zoro before looking back to Luffy. “Are you sure? We can stay, I don’t want something to happen after we leave...”

“I’m fine. And I’m back in bed with all my doctors.” He leaned back, “I want to nap anyway.”

Sanji let out a defeated sigh, leaning down and kissing his forehead. “Call me if anything happens.”

“I promise.” He waved at the two men as they walked out, his smile fading. He lay back against his many pillows, closing his eyes.

“You need to tell them.” Law crossed his arms, stepping inside the hospital room. “They’re going to find out sooner or later and they’re not going to be happy.”

“No!” Luffy rolled onto his side, turning his back to the man. “If I tell them, then they’ll visit me because they have to, not because they want to. And they’ll all be so worried and won’t ever want to do anything fun anymore.”

Law sighed, rubbing his face as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Luffy...”

“Stop it!” He looked over, eyes glassed over with tears. “You said my heart had three months left, right?” He sniffed, gripping his blanket. “It’s only been two weeks since then! I have time, it’s fine!”

The man bit his lip, kicking off his shoes before crawling onto the bed beside him. Luffy felt the bed dip with his weight and rolled over to face him, wrapping his arms around him and letting out a small sob. He buried his face against his hoodie, gripping it until his knuckles turned white.

“I won’t tell them...” Law reached down, rubbing his back lightly. “You can tell them when you’re ready.”

Luffy gave a pathetic sniff in response, nodding against his chest. “You’ll find me a heart before then...you promised...” he looked up, “I don’t want to die...”

“Hey, Hey...” he pushed the man’s hair back, “You’re not going to die anytime soon, okay? Things will get better.”

The smaller man nodded, pulling himself closer to the taller man’s frame.

“Things will get better.”


	4. October 24th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot express how happy the feedback for this fic has been. I have read every single one of your comments and they make me so incredibly happy. Every view, comment and kudos motivates me to write another chapter and make them each better than the last. I love every single one of you! Thank you so much for all your support! <3  
> ((Also, believe me, Ace’s mini arc here is very important. It’s not random.))

Ace rocked back on his heels, holding his hand up as he stared at the door. This wasn’t embarrassing, so why was he embarrassed?

He scowled, clenching his first tight as he hit the door a few times. This wasn’t meant to be an embarrassing time, he was in love! This was an important decision! He needed to do this, he needed to—

“Ace?”

He jumped, eyes widening as he realized his hand was still held high in the air. He blushed, lowering it as he looked to his brother in the doorway. When did he open it?

“Do you have today off?” Sabo grinned, opening the door further. “We can visit Luffy together!”

“No!” He covered his mouth, looking away. “I mean, normally I would, but...I have a request.”

The blonde frowned, tilting his head. “Okay...would you like to come inside? We can talk there.”

Ace shook his head, taking a deep breath.  
“I want to propose to Marco!” He looked up at the man, eyes wide. “I want you to help me find a ring!”

Sabo was frozen in his spot, eyes wide as he stared at his freckled brother. His lips twitched into a grin as he opened his arms, pulling the man into a hug. “Incredible! Let me tell Koala we’re leaving and then we can go right away!”

Ace laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, stepping into the house behind him. “Oh hey Koala.”

The woman turned from her spot on the couch, smiling softly. “Oh, hey Ace! I thought I heard your voice!”

“Okay baby, I’m—“ Sabo leaned down to give the woman a kiss, blinking a few times at the item in her lap. “Koala, is that our Halloween candy? If you eat it all, we won’t have anything for the trick or treaters!”

She gave the man a pout, holding the large bowl tight in her arms. “But the baby wanted it, not me.”

He sighed softly, kneeling down in front of the couch. He reached up, placing a hand on her stomach and giving it a stern glare. “Halloween is next week, and I can’t afford to keep buying candy. Stop eating it all.”

Sabo was quiet for a moment before a grin split his face, feeling a small kick beneath his palm. “Alright, I’m glad we came to an understanding. Be nice to mommy while I’m gone.” He kissed her stomach softly before standing, tilting her head up so he could kiss her as well. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay.” She grinned and kissed back softly, “Be safe!”

* * *

 

The nurses had been in and out of Luffy’s room all day, trying to set the mood for the upcoming holiday by putting up small ghosts and skeletons all over the hospital room. They’d even given Luffy a pair of scissors and some construction paper to help make his own decorations, and he was enjoying every second of it. He felt like a little kid again, before he had gotten sick. Him and Ace used to make holiday decorations together for everything.

“Look!” He laughed and held up a large blob-shape, “I made a ghost!”

“It looks great, Luffy!” One of the interns had decided to join him, sitting on the edge of his bed and making his own decorations. He was quite young, only about 16 years old; he was a prodigy in his class. “How does mine look?” He asked, holding up his own.

“Whoa!” He laughed and took the younger man’s ghost, “Chopper! It looks awesome!”

The teen laughed and covered his face, blushing heavily under his palms. “Bastard, that doesn’t make me happy!”

Luffy snorted in laughter, falling back onto his pillows. “You’re funny, Chopper! How come you’ve never been my doctor before?”

Chopper moved his hands down, smiling. “Well I’m still in medical school! I’m just an intern right now. I’m on Dr. Kureha’s service today, so I’m checking on all her patients!” He held out his hand, his smile widening. “My name is Tony, but you can keep calling me Chopper if you want!”

The brunette nodded, taking his hand and shaking it eagerly. “Sounds good, Chopper!”

“Luffy?” One of the nurses stepped inside the room, gesturing to the door. “You have a visitor, are you feeling up for it?”

“Yeah! I wanna see my friends!” He sat up, leaning forward as he tried to see who had come to visit him.

“Usopp!” Chopper was the first to jump off the bed, running to the doorway to greet him. “I didn’t know you knew Luffy!”

“Hey!” Usopp laughed and leaned down, hugging the younger man. “Yeah, we’ve been friends for a while now.” He put his hands in his pockets, walking over to the bed. He looked down at the paper cutouts, raising an eyebrow. “Is that...a melted snowman?”

Luffy pouted, holding up his creation. “Usopp you’re so mean! It’s a ghost! We’re decorating for Halloween!” He stuck his tongue out, setting his ghost back down in his lap. “How do you know Chopper?”

“Oh,” He smiled, looking to the young boy. “He’s in school with Kaya!

“Really?” Luffy turned, looking back to Chopper. “Wow! That’s so cool!”

Usopp grinned, picking up a few of the tools as he began cutting out a ghost of his own. “That reminds me! Have I ever told you the story of when I came face to face with a ghost?”

Both young boys gasped at that, sitting up eagerly.  
“Wow! You never told me that!” Chopper leaned closer to him, “I wanna know!”

“Yeah Usopp, tell us!” Luffy leaned forward as well, eyes wide.

The older man cleared his throat, bringing his hands up as he jumped into a detailed story of himself as a young child, meeting what he believed to be the ghost of a young girl in his friend Kaya’s home.

Luffy and Chopper were completely mesmerized, hooked on every word that came out of his mouth. They believed just about everything the man said.

“Chopper!”

The young boy jumped, squeaking slightly as he hopped to his feet. He brushed off his coat, placing the scissors and construction paper down on the bed again. “Dr. Kureha! I’m so sorry!” He bit his lip, “Luffy is doing well! His vitals are stable and he’s wide awake!”

Dr. Kureha laughed and crossed her arms, stepping inside the room. “Good job, Chopper. But we have more patients to see today, let’s get moving.”

“Okay!” Chopper turned, smiling softly at Luffy, “I’ll come say goodbye before I leave tonight okay?”

“Sounds good, Chopper.” Luffy gave him and Dr. Kureha a wave, watching as the two made their way out.

The room was quiet for a few minutes, the only sound coming from the machines and Usopp’s scissors as he had decided to create his own ghost. He looked up, sighing softly.

“You’ve gotten worse, haven’t you?”

Luffy paused, looking away as he rubbed his arm. He sighed, nodding. “How can you tell?”

“I’ve spent enough time with Kaya to know.” He set his paper down, “I can tell you’re weaker. Your breaths are a lot shorter. Your eyes are drooping more than before.”

The younger man sighed again, leaning back against his pillows. “Since you already figured it out...” he reached up, gently touching the heart shaped pendant around his neck. “Law told me three weeks ago I only had three months left with this heart...”

Usopp froze, eyes widening as he sat up. “T-three weeks ago? Luffy! That means you’ve only got two months!” He bit his lip, “Who else knows?!”

“No one! And you’d better not tell!” He looked over, eyes wide. “Law promised he’d find me a heart and so we don’t need to worry anyone by telling them stupid things like that!”

“But—“

“No buts, Usopp!” He crossed his arms, looking down at his lap. “I want my friends to visit because they want to, not because they have to because I’m dying. I’m going to get a heart, okay? Everything is going to work out fine.”

The room fell silent once again as Usopp tried to process his friend’s request. He hated the thought of losing him through death, but if he told everyone, Luffy probably wouldn’t want to speak to him ever again and he would lose him even sooner. He tugged on a loose thread on his shirt, eyes half lidded.

“Luffy...” he looked up, biting his lip. “If it gets too close to the three month mark and you don’t get a new heart...”

“I’ll tell them.” Luffy glanced up at him, tears pricking at his eyes. “If I get to two weeks before my heart expires and I don’t have a new one...I’ll tell them.”

Usopp frowned, rubbing his face lightly. He knew their friends would be mad, but what was he supposed to do? He could feel tears threatening to overflow from his eyes and he shook his head, as if the motion would get rid of the overwhelming feeling of sadness the news had brought him.

“Do you want to make more ghosts with me?” Luffy held up his stack of construction paper, sniffling softly. “I need more for my room.”

The older man looked up, wiping his nose with the back of his sleeve.

“Yeah, Luffy. I’d like that.”

* * *

 

Sabo kicked off his shoes as he stepped inside the small home, tilting his head up as he sniffed the air. He grinned, quickly hanging up his hat and coat before rushing to the kitchen.

“Has my Koala bear been baking?” He asked, looking around.

Koala laughed and pulled off her oven mitts, setting them off to the side. “Well, baby and I wanted to apologize for eating all the Halloween candy. So we made a pumpkin pie and some chocolate chip cookies!” She gestured to the plates on the counter, grinning.

“Oh, awesome!” He stepped forward, pulling the woman close as he captured her lips in a kiss. “You’re the best!” He pulled back slightly before kneeling down, cupping her stomach gently in both hands. “And how are you this evening, Sabo Jr?”

The woman sighed, rolling her eyes as she leaned against the counter. “That is NOT going to be his name!”

Sabo looked up, pouting at the woman. “So can we name him Ace?”

“No!” She laughed and set her hand on the top of her belly.

“How about Luffy?”

“We’re not naming them after your brothers!” She pulled him back to his feet, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Okay, I have one more name and I know it’s going to be perfect!” He set his hands on her hips, grin splitting his cheeks.

Koala rose an eyebrow, watching her husband curiously. “Go on.”

“Dragon.”

“Will you be serious for two seconds!” She laughed and pushed him away, reaching for the still warm cookies on their counter. “That is not a name!”

“But Koalaaaa!” He pouted, pulling her close once again. “I want them to have a cool name!”

She shook her head, leaning back against his chest. “And they will. Just...not from that list.”

Sabo nodded, rocking the two of them gently in the middle of the kitchen. “So...what names do you like then?”

Koala hummed, chewing casually on a particularly large bite of cookie. “Well...” she smiled softly, “I was thinking, for a boy...maybe Hunter, or James. And for a girl...Robin.”

The blonde paused, puffing his cheeks out as he pouted. “So you can name them after your friends, but we can’t name them after my brothers?”

She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. “For the record, I’ve loved the name Robin since before I met her. And if you’re that upset,” she looked up at him, smiling softly. “We can add Lucy and Aeron to the list. They’ll be spending a lot of time with your brothers, if we give them the exact same names it’ll be too confusing.”

“You’re the best!” Sabo laughed and held her tighter, pecking her cheek a few times. He closed his eyes, content with simply holding his wife in the kitchen.

The two stayed like that for a few minutes, with Koala eating a few more of the cookies and feeding bites to Sabo over her shoulder.  
“So, did Ace find a ring?”

He shook his head, rubbing her stomach. “He got lots of ideas and a good price range, but didn’t see anything that stood out to him.” He kissed her cheek softly, “You know how he is...he has to wait until something really pops out to him.”

Koala nodded, holding up her left hand and examining the ring the blonde had bought for her those many years ago. “He’s just like you in that way, isn’t he?” She grinned, “Couldn’t settle for just anything, huh?”

Sabo laughed and kissed her temple softly, holding her close to his chest.

“Only the best for my Koala bear.”


	5. November 14th

“What about that one?” Sabo pointed to one of the rings in the display case, looking over to his brother.

Ace turned, narrowing his eyes as he stared at it for a moment. He thought it over before eventually shaking his head, standing up. “Don’t think we’ll find one in here, Sabo. Let’s go.”

The blonde nodded, pulling his coat tighter around his body as he stepped outside. Halloween had come and gone, leaving behind a strong chill in the air and constant snow. He pulled his phone out, making sure his wife hadn’t called while they were inside the store.

“She’s getting to the end now, huh?” Ace smiled, hands in his pockets. “Eight months?”

“Yeah...” he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, “She hit eight months last week, doctor put her on bed rest...scares the shit out of me. Baby could come anytime between now and her due date.”

The man nodded, smiling softly as they walked down the sidewalk together, boots crunching through the few inches of snow that had accumulated over the past few days.

“Still can’t believe she stayed vegetarian this whole time...” he laughed, breath visible with every word. “I mean, all those cravings she had and she still didn’t cave?”

“Nope.” Sabo grinned, kicking at a large chunk of snow. “She’s a Koala bear, they don’t eat meat, remember?”

Ace rolled his eyes, shoving his brother lightly. “Got any names picked?”

The blonde paused, glancing over at him before responding. “Well. Koala likes Robin, Hunter and James. She shot down Dragon and Sabo Jr.”

Ace stopped, snorting in laughter as he reached out, shoving the man a bit harder. “You seriously did not ask her if you could name your kid dragon!”

“It was a joke!” He pouted, crossing his arms. “I’m gonna be a dad, I’m practicing my terrible dad jokes.”

“Sure, sure...” his brother smiled, starting to walk once again. “Hey, what shop did Law get Luffy’s necklace from? Maybe there’s something there.”

Sabo pulled his phone out, “Here, I’ll text Luffy. He’ll know.”

 

* * *

 

It had officially been one month and two weeks since Law’s diagnosis. Luffy had first thought that three months had been a rather low estimation, he’d felt great at the beginning!

But now...now he felt different. He constantly felt bloated, (according to Dr. Kureha it was due to fluid buildup. He didn’t understand how it happened, but it was definitely uncomfortable). His chest felt tight, his breathing had become shallow and ragged even while resting. He wasn’t even able to get out of bed for anything besides the bathroom!

He whined softly, pointing to the bedside table and opening his eyes slightly. Law had climbed into the bed with him, allowing Luffy to rest his head in his lap.

“Miss Koboyashi theme...” he smiled, “That’s a text from Sabo.”

Law reached over, picking up the cell phone as he continued to stroke the younger man’s hair with the other. “You’re right. He just wanted to know the name of the jewelry store where I got your necklace.”

Luffy reached up, gently touching the heart shaped that lay against his collarbone. “You mean the necklace I love so much?” He grinned, closing his eyes.

“Yes, that necklace.” The man chuckled softly, leaning back against the pillows as he rubbed the man’s side softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Bad.” He sighed, snuggling closer to the man. “My chest feels all tight and I can’t breathe deep anymore...”

Law nodded as he listened, closing his eyes. He vaguely wondered if any of Luffy’s friends would come visit, he hadn’t seen them in a few days. As loud and obnoxious Luffy’s friends were, Law could tell they all loved each other very much, and it always brightened his day to see them. When Luffy was happy, Law was happy.

The two lay in silence for a bit, the sound of Christmas music wafting in from the nearby nurses station keeping the older man’s mind occupied.

“Hey Law?” Luffy turned slightly, looking up at him. “I know I said two weeks, but...December first...” he bit his lip, “If I’m still waiting by then...I’ll tell everyone.”

Law paused, opening his eyes as he looked down at him. “Are you sure? I won’t force you to tell them if you don’t want to.”

“But I do.” He rubbed the man’s side, “I don’t want to spend my last month all alone...”

The man nodded, leaning back and closing his eyes. “Okay...I’ll be right there with you when you do.”

Luffy smiled softly, holding his hand out for the man as he nuzzled against his lap.

Law glanced down, quickly sending the blonde the jewelry shop’s name before placing the phone off to the side as he took the younger’s hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing it. He never would have thought he’d get so attached him when he first began working at this hospital, but now he couldn’t imagine not knowing him.

* * *

 

— _One year prior_ —

“This damn hospital is too big,” Law scowled down at the chart in his hands before looking up and down the hall once again. “Where the hell is it?”

He turned, beginning to walk back down the hall to find a map before he was practically shoved to the ground, a small figure slamming into his chest and sending them both flying. He cried out, landing hard on his ass.

“Hey!” He sat up, adjusting his hat. “This is a hospital, not a playground!”

The young man sat up as well, reaching for the straw hat that had fallen from his head in the accident.

“Sorry!” He looked up, grinning at the man. “I was playing hide and seek with a friend and didn’t want him to catch me!”

Law rolled his eyes as he stood, brushing off his butt. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find room 574, would you?”

The younger man paused, standing up and nodding. “Yeah, I know where it is! Follow me!” He reached out, grabbing the doctor’s arm and beginning to walk down the hallway. He seemed to be humming to himself, the grin never leaving his face as they approached the room. “Here we are!”

Law sighed in relief, glancing inside the room. “Thank you, I need to check on—“ he paused, “Where is he?”

“Oh!” He laughed and stepped inside the hospital room, climbing onto the bed. “Sorry! Didn’t know you were looking for me!”

The man paused, chuckling softly as he opened the chart. “Well, at least that’s convenient. My name is Trafalgar Law, I’ll be your doctor today. Your name is Luffy?”

“Yupp!” Luffy grinned up at him, “My name is Monkey D. Luffy! I’ve been here for observation for three months.”

He nodded, beginning to write a few things down. “Dislocated cardiomyopathy, huh?” He glanced up, “You’ve sure got a lot of energy for someone with late stage heart disease.”

The brunette sighed, pouting. “They said I may lose all my energy as my heart starts getting worse. So I like to enjoy my days with energy while I have them!”

“Not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.” He set the chart down, walking over to the young man and grabbing his stethoscope from around his neck. “This will—“

“This will be cold, breathe normally until I ask you to take deeper breaths.” Luffy finished the sentence for him, smiling. “I’ve been through this a few times, I know the drill.”

Law laughed softly, placing the small metal piece on his chest as he began listening. He moved it around a few times before moving to his back, closing his eyes. “Your breathing is alright, but your heartbeat is odd...”

“It does that.” The smaller man laughed and leaned back against the bed. “I’m used to it by now.”

He nodded slowly, putting his stethoscope back around his neck. “Okay, Luffy. We’re going to take you in for an echo so we can look at your heart. I’d like to see what I’m dealing with.”

Luffy nodded, giving the man a thumbs up. “Sounds good, Torao!”

“I’m sure I don’t have to explain— Torao?” He looked over, frowning. “Is that what you called me?”

He nodded again, grinning. “Yeah! It’s a nickname, since your name is suuuuper long and I probably won’t remember it.”

Law gave a defeated sigh, rubbing his face. “Do you give all your doctors nicknames?”

“Yupp.”

“Then fine, as long as I’m not the only one.” He gestured for him to stand, “Come on kid, let’s get you in the wheelchair.”

“Alright Torao!”

* * *

 

— _present day_ —

While Law hadn’t appreciated the name at first, he quickly grew to love it and the ball of excitement he called his patient. He looked down at the young man in his lap, frowning slightly. He missed the excited, happy guy that had bumped into him on that first day...this wasn’t him.

“Torao?” Luffy smiled, rolling onto his back and reaching up to cup his cheeks, “What are you thinking about?”

“My first day at the hospital.” He grinned, gently pinching Luffy’s cheek. “When you knocked me over in the hallway.”

“Oh yeah!” He laughed and hooked his fingers together on the back of the man’s neck, grinning up at him. “I remember that!”

Law glanced towards the window, sighing softly. “Good to know your memory is still in tact.”

He stuck his tongue out, “I have heart disease, not brain disease, Torao!”

The man had half a mind to correct him and let him know that ‘brain disease’ didn’t actually stand for anything, but decided against it when he noticed him staring out the window at the snowfall outside the hospital. The younger man’s smile began to fall as he watched, eyes half lidded.

“What’s the matter?” He pushed Luffy’s hair back, “You look all sad now.”

Luffy sighed softly, closing his eyes. “It’s snowing...And I’m stuck in here...” He bit his lip, “And if my heart expires soon, then I won’t get to—“

“Let’s go outside.” He grinned, “We’ll go stand in the snow, you can catch some snowflakes, maybe I’ll even let you throw a snowball at me.” Law sat up, rubbing the man’s cheek. 

“Really?!” Luffy pushed himself up, grinning. “You’ll take me outside?”

“Only for a few minutes.” He leaned in, kissing him softly. “Just long enough for you to experience the snow.”

Luffy grinned, pulling the man closer as he kissed him deeply, cupping his cheeks. “I love you so much, Torao!”

Law blushed, rubbing his back lightly as he kissed back.

“I love you too.”

 

* * *

 

 

Law had found a pair of sweats and an old hoodie in his locker, allowing the younger man to wear them as he wheeled him towards the front doors. He’d covered him with a blanket, knowing that wouldn’t stop him from standing up, but at least he would stay warm.

“Wow!” Luffy grinned and sat up slightly as they made it to the courtyard, looking around. “Look at all the snow!”

Law chuckled, stopping the wheelchair on the sidewalk. “It’s a lot, isn’t it?”

The brunette nodded, eagerly sticking out his tongue to catch snowflakes.

“Torao! I got some!” He laughed and turned, looking up at the older man.

“Yeah?” He grinned, reaching down and ruffling his hair. He looked out at the snow, sighing softly. It really was beautiful.

Luffy pushed himself up, picking up the blanket and wrapping it around his shoulders as he stepped forward, listening to the crunch of the snow beneath his feet. It was freezing, but he didn’t care!

“I love snow!” He knelt down, scooping up a large handful and beginning to pack it together in a tight ball. He turned, snickering.

“Torao, look over here!”

“What?” Law turned, eyes widening as he noticed too late that Luffy had chucked the snowball at him, hitting him square in the nose. “Fuck-!”

“I got you!” He laughed louder than Law had heard in a long time, throwing his arms up. “I got you right in the face!”

The doctor wiped the snow from his face, nodding as he walked over to him. “Yes, you got me.” He smirked, leaning down. “But now you have to kiss me to make up for it.”

Luffy wasted no time as he wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pulling him down as he kissed him eagerly.

“Thank You for this, Law...” he nuzzled against him, closing his eyes. “Thank you.”

Law nodded, rubbing his back lightly as he pecked his lips.

“Anything for you, Luffy” 


	6. December 1st

The hospital room was silent as Luffy stared at his lap, tugging on a loose thread on his blanket. Everyone had gathered just as he’d asked, but he couldn’t bring himself to look up.

He knew even while looking down that Nami was in the front with Vivi, holding her hand tight with both of her own. Sanji would be a few inches away from Zoro, hand twitching between them as he was always dying for human intimacy. Usopp would be standing beside Nami, his closest friend and confidante, probably scooting closer to her with every silent moment that passed.

He knew Ace would be sitting beside the bed, with Sabo standing directly behind his chair. He knew they were waiting for him to speak, but his voice was refusing to come.

“Luffy,” Nami finally spoke up, taking a step closer to the bed. “Is everything okay?”

The brunette shook his head, gripping the blanket as he brought his head up to look at the group. Tears pricked at his eyes as he took a deep breath.

“I only have a month left to live. If we can’t find a heart, mine is going to expire before the start of the new year.” His voice was as monotone as he could make it, trying to hold back the wave of emotion he felt as the words left his tongue.

There was a collective gasp from the group, multiple hands shooting up to cover their mouths at the news.

“Luffy...” Ace was the first to speak up, tears already beginning to drip down his cheeks, “Oh my god...”

“Who told you that?” Sabo swallowed his tears, clenching his fists tight by his sides. “I’ll talk to them, I’ll figure out a plan! I’ll—“

“And I’m signing a DNR.” Luffy interrupted, gripping his blanket. “If I die...I don’t want to come back. I don’t want to go through this again...” he looked down at his lap again, trying to avoid the gazes he received from his friends.

Sanji covered his face, turning and wrapping his arms around Zoro’s neck, burying his face against him as he struggled to keep from crying. His shoulders shook, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Zoro looked down, hesitantly wrapping his arms around the blonde and holding him tightly, gently rubbing his back. Now wasn’t the time to question his boyfriend’s actions.

Vivi squeezed the red heads hand, face pale as she listened to the him. Her best friend, at the end of his life...

Sabo turned, pushing past the others as he made his way to the hall. He looked around, turning towards the nurses station. “Hey!” He scowled, slamming his hands down, “Where’s my brother’s doctor?!”

The woman jumped, eyes wide. “I....May I have your brother’s—“

“Monkey D. Luffy! Dislocated cardiomyopathy and he’s been waiting on a heart for over a year! Get me his doctor!” He crossed his arms, eyes narrowed.

“Sabo,” Ace stepped a bit closer, having followed him out of the room, hesitantly touching the blonde’s arm. “Please, screaming at the doctors isn’t going to help.”

“Like you’re one to talk!” He pulled his arm away, “That’s all you ever do!”

“Not anymore!” Ace frowned, pulling his hand back. “We’ve been through this before, things come up and hearts get taken. He may be our number one priority, but UNOS decides who needs them more...” he moved closer to his brother, taking his hand. “He’s moved up on the list, there’s nothing else we can do.”

Sabo was frozen, hands gripping his arms tightly as he tried his best to avoid the man’s gaze. “We promised Luffy we’d protect him...”

“And we are!” The brunette sniffed softly, cupping his cheeks. “That’s what we do, we’ve never broken our promise before. And we’re not going to break it now.”

Sabo bit his lip, staring down at his brother before finally giving in, wrapping his arms around him as he let out a sob, shoulders shaking. He gripped his shirt, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I don’t want to lose him...”

“I don’t either...” Ace bit his lip, arms wrapped tightly around the man’s torso. “I don’t ever want to lose him, but...the moment we’ve been preparing for is here.” He closed his eyes, “It’s time to just make him comfortable and be there for him.”

He pulled back slightly, swallowing hard as he wiped at his cheeks. He sniffed, taking a step back. “I...I should call Koala...”

Ace nodded, rubbing his arm lightly. “I’ll be in Luffy’s room then.”

Sabo nodded, hugging his brother again before stepping back.

 

* * *

 

Luffy had fallen asleep in Law’s lap again, hands clenched on the man’s scrubs as he slept. The room was unusually quiet for how many people were in it, and how loud those people usually were.

“At least...at least we made his last year good.” Sanji looked up, eyes puffy and red. “I mean, he always talked about how much he loved us all coming to visit, and how it made his days better.”

“That’s true,” Nami gave a small smile, squeezing Vivi’s hand. “We did everything we could...”

Ace glanced up at Law, sighing softly. “So, you’re the heart specialist...what now?”

Law frowned, gently rubbing Luffy’s hair. “Well...as his condition worsens, his place on the list rises, and the chance of getting a heart will increase a bit. But...there aren’t nearly enough donors in the world, so...who knows.”

He nodded, rubbing his arm lightly. “But...is there anything we can do to push him higher on the list?”

The man shook his head, “No, I’m afraid not. All we can do now is keep him comfortable and trust the system, and...hope his heart improves a bit. Maybe he’ll get more time...”

Ace bit his lip, taking a deep breath as he decided it would be beneficial to try and lift the mood a bit. “You guys want to see the ring I bought?”

Nami gasped, sitting up eagerly. “You finally chose one?”

“Oh my god!” Vivi was next, grinning. “I want to see!”

“Come on, show us!” Sanji had joined the girls, standing between them.

The man laughed and reached into his jacket, pulling out a small box. He held it out, popping it open to show them.

The ring was rather simple; a silver band with four small sapphires embedded in it, and one large, heart shaped Ruby in the middle.

The three gasped as they leaned closer to see it, eyes wide.

“Ace it’s beautiful!” Nami looked up, gently touching her chest, “He’s going to love it!”

“I uh...” he pulled out another box, “I have a matching one for myself, but the colors are inverted.” He bit his lip, gripping the box as he looked to Luffy.

“I wasn’t planning on proposing soon, we had a date night scheduled in a few weeks and I wanted the time to prepare. But Luffy really wants to be a part of the wedding planning, so...” he smiled softly, putting the rings back as he sucked in a deep breath. “I guess I’m proposing tonight.”

Sanji grinned, standing up straight. “Ace that’s so sweet.”

“It really is, Ace.” Vivi squeezed Nami’s hand a bit harder, kissing her knuckles.

“Can I see the ring again?” The blonde held his hand out, grinning when the older man placed the box in his hand. He opened it up, examining it closely. “Wow...Sapphires are beautiful in engagement rings...silver is best, too.” He looked up, “Zoro, Come look!”

Zoro blushed, putting his phone away and trying to play off the fact that he was obviously taking notes on everything the blonde said about the engagement ring. He walked over, nodding. “You like the shape of the gems too?”

He nodded, “Heart shaped gems are always a good choice.”

“Good to know...” he laughed and wrapped his arms around him from behind, “Yeah, Ace, It’s a good ring.”

The room had gone silent again, as all eyes had turned to look at the two embracing in the middle of the room. No one had even known they were together, let alone having seen them embracing or kissing.

“So...are you two...together?” Usopp was the first to break the silence, grinning at the two.

Sanji paused, looking up as he finally realized what was happening. “Oh.”

“Whoops,” Zoro pulled back slightly, blushing darker than before. “I...got carried away...”

“I knew it!” Nami laughed and held her hand out, “Ace! My twenty bucks please!”

Ace rolled his eyes, pouting as he pulled a crumpled bill from his pocket. “Not like I just bought two engagement rings or anything.”

She grinned, snatching the bill from his hand before pocketing it, looking back to the two men. “So, how long?”

Sanji paused, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah...two years now.”

“Two years? Really?” Vivi frowned, crossing her arms. “You hid it for that long?”

The blonde looked away, blushing.

“It’s not like we didn’t want to tell you all,” Zoro’s voice was soft as he reached out, taking Sanji’s hand and holding it tight. “We just needed some time to understand ourselves enough to know this was what we wanted.”

Sanji looked up, pushing Zoro’s shoulder lightly. “Stop acting like an idiot when you clearly understand everything I say.”

He laughed and leaned down, kissing him softly. “What, would you rather I go into even deeper detail?”

“No!” He grinned, wrapping his arms around him. “No, you’ve explained enough!”

Luffy let out a small whine, stirring slightly and once again turning everyone’s attention to him. He sat up, with a little help from Law, rubbing his eyes. “What’s going on?”

Zoro chuckled softly, holding the blonde a bit closer. “We told everyone.”

He gasped, grinning up at his two friends. “Really?! You’re not gonna hide it anymore?” He clasped his hands together, “That’s great!”

Sanji looked up, nudging the man. “You just made his whole day.”

Ace stood, pocketing the two rings once again before walking up to the bed. “Hey, I’m going to go see Marco for a bit. I’ll be back for dinner, okay kid?”

Luffy nodded, waving to his older brother. “Bring Marco with you! I haven’t seen him in a while!”

“Will do.” He leaned down, kissing the top of his head before looking to Law. “Call me if anything happens, okay?”

Law gave a short nod, “Yeah.”

“Okay,” Ace grinned, waving to the group.

“I’ll be back!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m gonna be honest here. I struggled a bit with this chapter. But just knowing that you guys have loved everything I’ve published so far made it that much easier to finish and publish it. Again, thank you all for your support. It means so much. ❤️  
> —Rachel


	7. December 4th.

Sabo awoke to his phone ringing loudly beside his pillow, causing him to groan and pull his arm out from under it, splaying his fingers out as he searched for the device. He hit accept, bringing his phone up to his ear.

“Sabo here.”

“ _Sabo_ ,” Robin was on the other line, sounding a bit upset. An upset editor is not what you wanted. “ _It’s been over a month and you haven’t submitted anything for book four, not even an idea_.”

He paused, sighing softly. “Look, I’m sorry...life has been hectic. My wife is about to have a baby and my brother is...” he bit his lip, unable to finish the sentence. “Just give me a bit more time, okay?”

The woman on the other line sighed, tapping her desk. “ _I understand. I’ll extend your first deadline until January tenth, but I need at least five chapters done by then._ ”

Sabo nodded slowly, thanking her before ending the call. He put his phone down, rolling onto his side.

“Is it my fault?” Koala was facing him, her brown eyes wide and full of tears. “You’ve been taking care of me, that’s why she’s mad.”

“What?” He paused, sitting up as he took her hands. He couldn’t wait for these pregnancy fueled hormone surges to be over. “Koala, no! No no no,” he pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her. “I just...Luffy hasn’t been feeling well enough to give me ideas, and...I don’t feel right continuing with the chapters without him.”

She sniffed, nodding slowly as she buried her face against his neck. “Promise it isn’t my fault?”

“I promise.” He kissed her cheek lightly, closing his eyes. Truthfully, he hadn’t had the energy to write in weeks. Between taking care of Koala, visiting Luffy, and preparing for the birth of their child, he really hadn’t had the physical or mental energy to write.

He had tried, too. But it seemed like every word that appeared on his screen was forced and unnatural. He had a high bar set for himself, and Robin’s bar was even higher. If he couldn’t write something good, he preferred not to write at all.

“I’ll have to try today though.” He closed his eyes, “Before I go visit Luffy, I’ll have to try and get at least a chapter done...”

Koala smiled softly, rubbing small circles against his back. “You can do it, baby. I believe in you.”

Sabo grinned, pulling back a bit so he could kiss her. “You’re the best.”

 

* * *

 

“Dammit!”

Sabo had been attempting to write for nearly three hours, and had produced nothing. Not even a title!

“Dammit,” he rested his forehead on his desk, tugging at his hair. “Come on, brain! Work!”

He sat in silence for a few moments before groaning again, deciding that trying to force himself to write wasn’t going to work. He pushed away from his desk, running his fingers through his hair as he walked back to the bedroom, looking to his wife.

“I’m going to go see Luffy, maybe he can spark some writing energy in me.” He walked over, pushing her hair back. “You want to come?”

The woman shook her head, smiling softly. “No, I’m okay. Just bring back some food with you and I’ll be happy.”

He laughed and leaned down, kissing her softly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” She grinned, pinching his cheek lightly.

 

* * *

 

“Hey Luffy!” Sabo grinned, placing his bag down as he approached the bed. “You’re looking well today!”

Luffy looked over, waving happily at his brother. “Hey Sabo!” He grinned, “What brings you in today?”

He paused, sitting down beside the bed. “Ah...I got a call from Robin today. She’s a bit upset I haven’t written anything this month.”

The brunette sat up further, eyes wide. “Were my ideas not good?”

“No!” Sabo raised his hands, shaking his head. “No, no! It’s not that, I just haven’t had the energy to write. I thought maybe you and I could spend the day working on it together, instead of me reading all your ideas and then writing them.”

“Oh!” Luffy grinned, nodding. “Yeah, I’d like that, Sabo!”

The blonde laughed and sat down beside the bed, pulling out his laptop. 

 

* * *

 

“What did you want to call it?”

“The knock up stream!”

Sabo had been writing down nearly every word out of his brother’s mouth, his cheeks burning with the grin he had. The two had ordered a couple of pizzas and decided to make a day of it, simply enjoying each other’s company as they worked.

“It’s like a...” Luffy bit his lip, “What’s the word for when there’s a hole in the ground, and the water shoots up?”

“A geyser?” Sabo tried, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah! It’s just like that! Except huuuuuge!” He opened his arms, trying to show just how big it was. “It’s super big! And it shoots people up into the sky!” He laughed and picked up another slice of pizza, taking a large bite.

The blonde nodded, typing away at his laptop as he listened. He wished he had half the imagination his brother did, but that’s what made his books so special. They weren’t written by just him, he had the help of his little brother. It gave him the opportunity to spend time with him, and be able to fulfill both their dreams together.

“Okay, we have a few choices for the first person they meet.” He grinned, “You wanted to go with the old lady, right?”

Luffy’s cheeks were puffed out and full of pizza as he nodded, “Mhm!”

He laughed softly, typing out another few sentences. “Okay...I think that does it for chapter one! I can edit it all later on.” He looked up, grinning. “We did some great work today!”

Luffy nodded, “Can we start on chapter two now?”

Sabo paused, biting his lip. “If you’re up for it, yeah. You need a break or anything?”

He shook his head, wiping off his mouth. “No, I’m alright. I’m feeling really good today.” He glanced at the machine beside him, reading the numbers before giving a nod. His heart rate was higher than usual, and that meant his heart was working well. He was having a good day.

“Okay, So we decided on the name of the ocean, right?” Sabo opened a new document on his laptop, typing out a few things before looking up. “The White White Sea, right?”

Luffy nodded, tugging lightly on his necklace as he watched his brother write.

“If I die soon,” he tilted his head, “Are you going to stop writing the books?”

Sabo froze, looking up at him. He hadn’t thought about that, actually, having put the idea out of his mind a long time ago.

“I...guess I just never thought about it.” He bit his lip, “I didn’t want to think about the fact that you may die before me, so...”

“But I might.” He looked down at his lap, “So...please don’t stop writing. No one knows I’m helping you with them anyway, and the fans love your work. So please don’t stop writing them.”

The blonde sighed softly, placing his laptop off to the side as he stood, making his way over to the bed. He sat down beside him, pulling him into a hug. “I promise.”

Luffy sniffed, wrapping his arms around his brother and holding him tightly. “Good...”

He climbed further onto the bed, allowing the younger man to curl up tight against his chest.

 

* * *

 

Sabo blinked himself awake a few hours later, yawning as he sat up slightly. He groaned, reaching up and rubbing his neck.

“Ah...fell asleep at a weird angle...” he looked down, smiling softly at the sight of Luffy asleep in his lap. He reached down, rubbing his cheek lightly.

“Hey, wake up Luff.” He pat his cheek, yawning. Sabo paused then, patting his cheek a few more times. “Hey, Luffy...t-this isn’t funny.”

“Luffy!” He shoved his shoulder, eyes wide. “Hey!” He turned, eyes wide. “I need a nurse!”

It was a few moments before a nurse ran in, Chopper following close behind.  
“What happened?!” He ran up to the bed, pulling on a set of gloves.

“I just woke up,” Sabo looked up, tears welling in his eyes. “He— he’s not responding!”

“I’m going to figure this out, Sabo.” The young man reached up, pressing two fingers against Luffy’s neck and closing his eyes.

“His pulse is weak, but it’s there.” He reached over, grabbing an oxygen mask and snapping it to his face as he began to work. “He’s unconscious, but he’s breathing.”

Sabo nodded, tears silently dripping down his cheeks as he watched the small doctor work.

Luffy coughed behind his mask, eyes opening slowly as he looked around. “What...”

“Luffy!” The blonde grinned, sniffing softly. “Oh my god, I-I was so worried, I thought...”

“Has your chest been hurting all day?” Chopper looked up, pressing his stethoscope against his chest. “You always pass out when your chest hurts.”

Sabo paused, wiping his cheeks. “Luffy...were you in pain...? This whole time?”

Luffy bit his lip, looking away. “I wanted to spend time with Sabo...the pain wasn’t that bad, I thought it would go away...”

“Luffy!” He frowned, rubbing his cheek. “You shouldn’t ignore that, you know better!”

“But we were having fun again! We were writing the book together, we were eating pizza!” He sniffed, closing his eyes. “It was normal again and...I just wanted to enjoy it...”

Chopper helped the man sit up, sighing softly. “You need to rest, Luffy. We’ll call Law to come be with you in case something happens.”

Sabo climbed off the bed, beginning to pick up his things. “I should go...I need to check on Koala anyway...”

Luffy frowned, looking up at his brother. “Sabo...”

“I’ll call you later,” He turned, flashing his brother a grin. “Okay?”

Luffy paused, smiling softly. “Okay.”

 

* * *

 

 

Sabo rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped into the waiting room, dialing Koala’s number and holding it to his ear as he listened to it ring.

He paused, looking down at his phone before looking around the waiting room. He could have sworn he’d heard her ring—

“Koala?!”

“Sabo!” Koala looked up, gripping the armrests of her wheelchair. She had just arrived a moment prior, phone in hand as she’d been trying to call the blonde. “I knew you’d be here! Sabo, I—“ she cried out, reaching for his hand.

“Oh my god,” he took her hand, squeezing it tightly. “Koala...is this...?”

She stared up at him, giving him the best grin she could through the obvious pain. “We’re gonna have a baby!”

He laughed and leaned down, kissing her forehead.

“We’re gonna have a baby!”

——

Koala reached out, taking Sabo’s hand and holding it tightly. She’d calmed down considerably once the epidural kicked in, cheeks flushed as she watched her husband. As it turned out, contractions didn’t mean a baby would arrive immediately.

“Did you tell your brothers yet?” She grinned, rubbing her stomach lightly. “I know how excited they were.”

He laughed and kissed her knuckles, nodding. “Course I did. But Luffy needs his rest, and Ace is probably—“

“Hey guys!” Ace had stepped inside the room, panting softly as he had his hand covering his eyes. He’d run to the hospital as fast as he could.

Sabo looked up, rolling his eyes. “Ace, she’s not in active labor yet. You can look.”

“Oh, good!” He dropped his hand, waving to the two. “So it’s time, huh?”

Koala nodded, rubbing the blonde’s knuckles with her thumb. “Well, it’s started at least. Probably won’t be ready to push for a few hours.”

He nodded, crossing his arms. “Well shit, you guys ready for this?”

Sabo laughed and shook his head. “As ready as we possibly can be...” he looked his brother up and down, frowning. “Wait, you’re not wearing your ring. Did he say no?”

Ace looked down, blushing. “Ah...I haven’t asked yet.”

“Ace!” The blonde sat up further, “You told Luffy three days ago you were going to!”

“Things came up!” Ace pouted, cheeks puffing out. “I’ll do it, okay?”

“Then do it now.” He smirked, “Koala won’t be ready to push for a while now, you have time. I’ll call you when the party starts.”

The brunette paused, blushing heavily underneath his freckles. “I...I guess I can go do it now...”

“It would be more fun than waiting for me to be ready to have a baby.” Koala smiled, waving to the man. “Go. Go propose, go be happy.”

Ace nodded, rubbing his face lightly. “Okay...time to go propose!”

Sabo nodded, giving his brother a thumbs up. “You got this!”

Ace raised his hand, giving him a thumbs up in return as he rushed out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I want to thank you all for reading! I would like to mention that I don’t have a beta reader, and I’m trying to pace myself with these chapters but I can’t stop writing! Please let me know if any of them seem rushed! You’ve all been so kind. Thanks for reading!  
> <3  
> -rachel


	8. December 8th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Gun violence, childbirth. 
> 
> Hello, my wonderful readers! Welcome to chapter 8! Let me remind you now that I love you all, you are all beautiful, lovely people, and your comments and kudos make my day. 
> 
> Without further ado, here’s the newest chapter!

Koala let out a long groan, closing her eyes as she leaned back against the bed. It had been a few hours since labor had started, and the epidural only did so much.

“I’m back!” Sabo stepped into the hospital room, placing a small cup of ice on the bedside table. He reached out, pushing her bangs away from her face. “You’re doing great!”

She whined softly, bringing her hand up and taking his, holding it tightly. She looked up to her husband, opening her eyes again. “Make the baby come faster!”

Sabo laughed, shaking his head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, honey...”

He leaned in, kissing her cheek again as he squeezed her hand through a particularly hard contraction, “This is weird, I wonder what’s taking Ace so long...”

Koala smirked, panting softly as she tried to think of anything other than the pain. “Well...you remember what we did right after you proposed. It could be a while before they come join us.”

He paused, blushing heavily as he tried to shake the mental image from his head. “I don’t want to think about that, I’ve walked in on him enough times to get a clear image if I do...”

She reached out, pinching his cheek softly. “Well...we’ll just have to wait for an update from him then.”

 

* * *

 

“You’ve been so quiet.” Marco frowned, squeezing his boyfriend’s hand a bit tighter as they walked, “This isn’t like you, are you okay?”

Ace looked up, nodding. “Yeah, ‘course I am. I just...I’m nervous.”

The blonde paused, giving the man’s hand another tight squeeze. “I know, but you know how resilient Luffy is.”

“I’m not nervous for him.”

Marco stopped, looking to him with wide eyes. “Ace, is there something you’re not telling me?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, reaching into his pocket. “Well, there is one thing...” he stepped back, squeezing the box in his hand tightly. “Marco, I...I need to ask you something...”

“Ace...”

“Marco...I love you more than anything, and that’s saying something, because you know how much I love food, and Sabo, and Luffy, and...” he laughed softly, pulling his hand out from his pocket.

“Marco, I—“

Marco jumped at the sound of a gunshot, frantically looking around to find the source, before turning back to his boyfriend. “What the fuck was that?”

Ace was frozen, hands seeming to move in slow motion as he reached for the wound on his stomach. He looked down, tears forming in his eyes as he noticed the amount of blood beginning to pool in the palms of his hands.

“What the fuck...” he stepped back, eyes widening.

“Ace!” Marco rushed forward, catching the man just as he began to fall. “Someone call an ambulance, please!” He looked down at the man in his arms, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. He held him close, glancing up at one of the bystanders as she had pulled out her phone to call for help.

“Marry me,” Ace reached up, gripping the man’s shirt in one hand, clutching his stomach with the other. “That’s what I wanted to ask you...”

“I will, I will, I promise.” He swallowed hard, placing a hand on his cheek. “When you survive this, we’ll get married, okay?” He grinned, using his thumb to wipe away the tears on his cheek. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

 

* * *

 

“What do we have?” Chopper pulled on his gloves, excited to be working his first emergency room shift on his own.

“Gun shot to the abdomen, he’s bleeding badly.” One of the paramedics jumped out, helping the others pull the stretcher out before the small doctor froze.

“Oh my god,” he swallowed hard, “Oh my god, Ace...”

Marco was the next one to jump out, hands and shirt both covered in blood. “He proposed...” he looked up, eyes wide. “He proposed a-and then he...he got shot...”

“I-it’s Okay!” Chopper reached up, attempting to calm the man before turning back to the stretcher. He stared down at him, mind racing as he tried to remember the protocol for the situation. He wasn’t expecting a gunshot wound in his best friend’s brother on his first day!

He turned, grabbing a few handfuls of gauze as he climbed onto the stretcher with him, straddling his hips as he began pushing down on the wound. “G-get him to a trauma room! I can’t control the bleeding for long!”

“Let me go with you!” Marco rushed forward, trying to push past one of the doctors as he watched them wheel his precious boyfriend away. “I-I need to stay with him!”

“You can’t go in there,” the doctor gently held onto the man’s arms, pushing him towards the waiting room. “We’ll come get you when we have information, okay?”

Chopper took a deep breath, looking up. “Someone page Law and Dr. Kureha, I need help! Get me a portable ultrasound machine, the bullet could have broken through his stomach and bowel...”

He pulled his hands back, taking a good look at the wound before climbing off the stretcher. “This is definitely an exit wound, the bullet went straight through.”

“Chopper,” Ace brought his hand up, grabbing the doctor’s arm and squeezing it as best he could. “I’m an organ donor...”

“I...” the doctor froze, eyes widening. “No! Don’t talk like that, Ace! We’re going to save you!” He looked up, tears welling in his eyes. “I need Law!”

 

* * *

 

“Law,” Luffy pouted, gently shaking his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Your pager is beeping again.”

The man whined softly, reaching for the bedside table as he grabbed the device. He opened his eyes, reading the small screen before groaning. “Trauma in the ER, it’s Chopper’s first day on his own. I need to go help him.”

He leaned in, kissing the younger man deeply before standing up. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?”

“Okay, Torao.” He kissed back softly, squeezing his hand before pulling away.

Law waved to him, grabbing his lab coat as he rushed down the hall, skipping the elevator and making his way down the stairs two steps at a time. He pushed through the door to the ER, looking around.

“What is it?” He stepped into the trauma room, freezing in the doorway. “Oh holy fuck...”

“I need help,” Chopper looked up, tears streaming down his cheeks. He was doing the best he could, but all he could picture was Luffy’s face and what it would look like when I told him what happened. “It’s Ace, a-and he’s...”

“Oh my god,” Law nodded, pulling on a pair of gloves. “I’m here now, what tests have you run so far?”

“We’re waiting on the ultrasound to get here,” he sniffed, “We need to check to see if the bullet pierced any organs.”

“That’s right.” He picked up his stethoscope, beginning to listen to his chest.

“Breathing is labored but it’s there...” he pulled back, “Push some morphine and we’ll get the rest of the tests ordered.”

“Yes doctor.” Chopper pulled back, removing his gloves as he reached for one of the drawers beside him.

Ace reached up, gently touching the man’s arm. “I want to see Marco...”

“And you will.” Law gave him a gentle smile, “The medicine is going to make you really sleepy, and we’re going to get this bullet wound fixed. Then we’ll have Luffy and Marco both come down and visit.”

He nodded, his head falling back against the pillow, vision blurred. His eyes fell shut, chest rising and falling slowly as he let himself fall asleep.

 

* * *

 

Luffy’s voice was the first thing Ace heard when he began to wake up from surgery, blinking tiredly as he tried to turn his head.

“Ace!” Luffy sat up quickly, sniffing softly as he reached for his brother. “Ace, you’re awake!”

He smiled softly, hand twitching as he reached out for him. “Mm...Hey Luff...” he opened his eyes, looking over to the man. “Is this the stuff they’ve got you on? Shit, it’s good...”

The younger man laughed and pushed his wheelchair closer, taking his brother’s hand. “I was so worried...”

“Hey, that’s my line.” Ace laughed and kissed his knuckles softly, “Is Marco here?”

“Yeah, Law gave him some clothes from the gift shop to change into.” He leaned forward, nuzzling against him, “He’ll be back in a bit.”

Ace turned his head slightly, looking up at his brother with half lidded eyes. “I’m so sorry I made you worry...”

Luffy shook his head, squeezing his hand tighter. “I’m always worried.”

That was the opposite of what Ace wanted to hear and he sighed, closing his eyes. He paused then, eyes popping open once more.

“Oh shit,” he looked up, grinning. “The baby, did Koala have the baby yet?”

Luffy grinned as well, shaking his head. “Still in labor. I think she’s about to break Sabo’s hand.” He leaned closer to his brother again, kissing his temple. “She’s yelling funny stuff at him, it’s making him all red!”

“Ace, you’re awake!” Marco grinned, stepping inside the room and making his way over to him. “How are you feeling? Nauseous? In any pain?” He stood beside the bed, taking the man’s other hand.

“I’m fine, I swear.” He kissed his knuckles, closing his eyes. “Law gave me the good shit.”

Marco nodded, leaning down and kissing the man softly. “I’m glad the morphine is working well for you.”

“I love it.” He snorted, squeezing his hand again. “I wanna take some home.”

The blonde sighed, rolling his eyes as he looked back to Luffy. “Any word from Sabo?”

Luffy looked down at his phone, shaking his head. “Nothing yet. But he said it could take a long time.”

Marco smiled, sitting down beside the bed. “That’s true.” His smile widened to a grin, “Wonder what kind of shit she’s saying to him.”

 

* * *

 

“ _ **Fuck You!**_ ”

Koala was normally a laid back person. She never really showed her anger, never fought with Sabo unless something was really wrong. But right now, while shoving a _baby_ out of her _vagina_ , it was time for anger.

“If you want another baby,” she gripped his hand, sucking in a harsh breath. “You’re fucking doing this next time!”

Sabo bit his lip, gently pressing a washcloth against her forehead. “If I could do it, you know I would...” he gave an almost forced laugh, “Just stay calm, and—“

“There’s no way I can be calm here!” She adjusted her grip on his hand, trying to listen to her doctor, “Your _stupid penis_ did this!”

“Hey now,” He pouted, rubbing her shoulder. “You love my stupid penis.”

Koala rolled her eyes, laying back against the bed. “Dammit, I do.”

“This should be your last push,” the doctor smiled, standing up a bit more to see her face. “On three, okay?”

She nodded, silently counting down before letting out a harsh cry, unable to hear her husbands sudden yelp in pain as she squeezed harder.

There were a few moments of glorious silence between the woman gasping for air and the baby’s first cry, leaving Sabo in complete awe, despite the horrible pain radiating from his bruised hand.

“Oh my god,” he laughed softly, squeezing her shoulder. “Koala!”

“It’s a girl!” The doctor laughed and held out a small pair of scissors to the blonde, watching as he eagerly cut the cord with his good hand and finished the process.

“Koala, we have a daughter!” He leaned down, kissing her forehead softly. “You did so well, I’m so proud of you.”

She grinned back at him, sweat dripping down her face. “We have a daughter...”

“I have to go tell Luffy,” he kissed her cheek softly, “I’ll come right back, I promise!”

She nodded, cupping his cheek. “Go get your brothers.

Sabo laughed and bolted out of the room, dialing Ace’s number as he ran towards his little brother’s room. It wasn’t until he heard his brother’s signature ringtone from one of the rooms nearby that he paused, taking a few steps towards it before stopping in the doorway. With Koala being in labor, no one had gotten a chance to tell the man about his brother, the bullet, or the surgery that followed.

He didn’t find out until he saw his brother in the bed for the first time.

“ _Ace?!_ ”


	9. December 8th, part two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your critiques and comments! I value every one of them and they all help me improve my writing.  
> Enjoy chapter 9!

Ace and Luffy both looked up at their brother’s voice, both looking vaguely like puppies waiting for their owners to return.

“Sabo!” Luffy grinned and leaned back, eyes wide. “Did Koala have the baby?”

He nodded, walking further inside the room. “Y-Yeah, But...what happened?!”

“Oh,” Ace looked down, “I got shot.”

“What?! H-how can you say that so casually?!” He set his hand on Luffy’s shoulder, “Where?! And how?!”

“Hey, calm down for a second.” Ace raised his hand, frowning. “They said that some guy was robbing a store nearby, I just got caught in the crossfire while the police were trying to arrest him.” He laughed softly, “My fault for proposing on the sidewalk, right?”

Sabo rubbed his face, shaking his head. “Jesus Christ, Ace...”

“Hey, I’m doing okay right now.” He grinned, “Tell us about the baby.”

The blonde paused, crossing his arms as he began to grin as well, the thought of his new daughter brightening him right up. “She’s seven pounds, two ounces, 17 inches. Both her and Koala are doing great.”

“That’s great!” Luffy clapped eagerly, “That’s great, right? Good sizes?”

“Excellent, Luffy.” He leaned down, kissing the top of his head. “If you’re feeling up to coming by later you can hold her.”

“I will!” He grinned, nuzzling against his brother’s palm. “Im really happy for you, Sabo!”

Sabo laughed and kissed the top of his head again before pulling back, “I have to get back, I’ll come visit you both soon, okay?” He leaned down, giving Ace a gentle hug before running off.

Ace was silent for a few moments before looking up to Luffy, “I get the feeling you may get a new heart soon.”

Luffy paused, eyes wide as he turned to face his brother. What did that mean? “What?”

“Yeah,” He grinned, “I just have a good feeling...you’ll have a nice strong heart soon.” He reached out, taking his brother’s hand. “But for now...you should go rest. You look tired.”

The younger man nodded, squeezing his hand tightly. “Promise me you’ll be okay if I leave?”

Ace nodded, giving his hand a tight squeeze back. “I promise.”

Luffy wanted to stay, but the man was right. He really needed to go back and rest. “Call me if something happens.”

The man nodded, waving to his little brother as he watched him go. He sighed, laying back on the bed and letting out a small groan. Who knew getting shot would hurt so bad?

Marco had been silent for a bit, holding a small plastic bag that held the contents of Ace’s jacket. The jacket now had a bullet hole and a larger blood stain than Marco would have imagined. Seriously, you never really know how much blood someone has until it starts pouring out.

“I guess that explains all the noise we had heard,” Ace broke the silence, opening his eyes slightly. “I was so nervous I didn’t even pay attention to it. Thought maybe someone was just getting pulled over for speeding, you never really think the police sirens are for actual crime until it happens...”

The blonde sighed softly, nodding. “I should have been paying more attention, I—“

“You sound just like Sabo.” He laughed and squeezed his fiancé’s hand, “Every time Luffy got hurt as a kid, Sabo would list off everything he should have been doing to protect him.”

“But...” he frowned, squeezing his hand back as he went quiet once again.

“Hey...” Ace grunted as he pushed himself up, grinning over at the man. “You said yes, didn’t you?”

Marco paused, looking up at him with wide eyes. He laughed softly, leaning in so he could cup his cheeks. “I’d say yes a million times, and you know that.”

“I love you so much,” he closed the gap between them, pressing their lips together in a passionate kiss as he wrapped his arms around him. He let out a soft moan, never one to stay quiet during even the most innocent of acts between the two. “I’d say it a million times and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

He pulled him onto the bed with him, holding him tight against his chest. “I love you so, so much...”

Marco chuckled and nuzzled against him, closing his eyes. It had been a tiring day. He was ready to sleep.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Ace.” He closed his eyes, “I was so worried that something would happen.”

“Of course I’m okay.” He grinned, nuzzling against him, “Like I would ever leave you.”

He gasped then, reaching over for the bag Marco had been holding. “Hey! You haven’t even seen the rings!”

Marco laughed softly, grabbing the large plastic bag from the bedside table. He popped it open, pulling out two small boxes.

“The big one is yours,” he placed his hand on top of Marco’s, “Open it.”

He nodded, running the pad of his thumb across the edge of the velvet box before popping it open. He paused, eyes widening. “Oh my god, Ace!” He looked up, grinning widely at the man. “It’s beautiful!”

Ace grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. “I knew you’d like it...”

Marco gently pulled the ring out, handing it to the freckled dork he loved so much. “Care to put it on me?”

He grinned, taking the ring from him before slipping it onto his finger. He leaned in, cupping his cheeks and kissing him deeply.

“I love you, stupid pineapple.”

“I love you too.”

 

* * *

 

“I’m back!” Sabo rushed inside the hospital room, eager to get back to his wife’s side. “How is she?”

“She’s perfect.” Koala looked up, cradling the infant close to her chest. “You want to hold her?”

The man paused, eyes widening as he nodded eagerly. “Yes, Of course!”

She laughed and gently transferred the girl over to his arms, watching his expression closely.

Sabo was frozen, unable to look away from the child in his arms. She was smaller than he’d ever imagined she could be, head fitting perfectly in his cupped palm. She had her hands clenched into absolutely tiny fists, one under her chin and the other settled beside one of her chubby cheeks.

“Koala...” He looked up, tears welling in his eyes. “Look what we made! She’s perfect!”

“Sh!” She laughed and pressed a finger to her lips, “You’ll wake her up.”

He turned his attention back to the baby girl, cooing softly as he held her closer to his chest just as she had begun to wake up. Her eyes flicked open, expression laced with curiosity as she watched him.

“H-hi!” He laughed softly, unable to hold back his tears. “I’m your dad! Sabo!”

The girl let out a small whine, lips instinctively turning up in a small smile at his voice.

“I promise I’ll be a good dad, okay?” He raised his hand, rubbing her cheek gently with the pad of his thumb. “Nothing like my old dad, okay? I’ll always be there...for soccer practices, dance recitals...” he leaned down, kissing her forehead lightly, “For sleepovers and band performances...”

He sniffed, grinning down at the little girl. “Yeah...I’ll be the best dad I possibly can be, okay?”

Sabo finally looked back up at his wife, blushing heavily as he realized the woman had been videotaping the entire scene.

She sniffed softly, ending the video before wiping her cheeks off. “Sabo, you’re so cute! You’re such a good dad already!”

His cheeks darkened as he looked down at the baby in his arms, reaching up and dangling a finger in her line of sight. “Your mommy is very silly, isn’t she?”

The girl squeaked softly, grabbing at his finger and holding it as tightly as she could, which honestly wasn’t all that tight.

“Yeah!” He grinned, wiggling his finger lightly. “Pretty soon you’ll get to meet your uncle Luffy, and he’s even sillier than she is!”

 

* * *

 

“She’s so...small.” Luffy grinned down at the girl in his arms, gently poking her chubby cheek. “Koala’s belly was so big, I can’t believe the baby is so small!”

“Luffy,” Sabo frowned and pushed his shoulder lightly. “We don’t talk about her belly, remember?”

“Oh, right!” He laughed and nodded, rubbing the back of the girl’s head as he held her. “What’s her name?”

Both parents paused at the question, looking to the other one for the answer as they realized they hadn’t exactly chosen a name for their new baby girl.

“Ah...” Sabo rubbed the back of his neck lightly, “We haven’t decided on a name yet.”

“She came a little early,” Koala poked her fingers together, looking up at the younger man. “We just need a day to decide.”

Luffy have a nod of understanding, keeping his eyes focused on the tiny, tiny baby.

“Can we name her Luffy?”

“Luffy, no!” Koala laughed and shook her head, “That’s not even a girl’s name.”

“Oh, okay.” He nodded again, poking the baby’s cheek one more time. “So what can she do?”

Sabo rose an eyebrow, chuckling softly. “All she can really do is cry and poop right now, Luffy. It’ll be a few months before she can do anything else.”

“So when can she play?” He asked, giving the girl a gentle bounce. She was sleeping soundly in his arms, cuddled in the pastel dragon blanket that Sabo had bought the day Koala announced her pregnancy.

“Not for a few months, Luffy.” The blonde sat down beside him, “But you have to be gentle for a while, remember?”

“I know, I know...” he pouted, puffing our his cheeks, “But you’ll let me hold her a lot, right?”

Sabo grinned, nodding as he ruffled the younger man’s hair. “Any time you want, Luffy.”


	10. Going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers! As much as I hate to do this, the story was planned from the beginning before I fell in love with all of you and your love for the story.  
> So, before we begin, I have one note. 
> 
> MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH AHEAD. 
> 
> (And remember, I love you all!)

“She’s so tiny,” Ace grinned down at the bundle in his arms, poking her nose lightly. He looked up to the blonde hair already beginning to sprout from her head, gently rubbing it with his thumb. “She’s got your hair.”

“As long as she has Koala’s eyes, I’ll be happy.” Sabo laughed and leaned back in his chair, “I love her eyes.”

The man paused, looking back down at the baby as he let out a small chuckle. Blonde hair and brown eyes, huh? That sure reminded him of someone.

“I think that would be beautiful.” He bounced her lightly, pulling the dragon blanket a bit higher to keep her snuggled. “You two sure made a cute baby.”

Sabo’s grin seemed to widen at his brother’s comment, nodding. “We sure did!”

Ace laughed softly, gently rubbing the little girl’s cheek before pausing once again. “Oh god,” he bit his lip, “Someone ruined their first diaper.”

The blonde sat up, eyes wide. “Oh! I’ve got this! I’ve been practicing all month!” He stood, gently taking the little girl from him. “You should rest anyway, you just had surgery.”

He nodded, allowing him to take the girl before reaching up, gently taking hold of his brother’s arm.

“Ace?” Sabo frowned, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, just...” He grinned, “I’m really proud of you.” He pat his arm, pulling away. “Now get back to your wife.”

He laughed and nodded, cradling the infant close to his chest. “Love you, Ace.”

“Love you too.”

 

* * *

 

Sabo had eagerly changed the girl’s diaper as soon as he returned to Koala’s room, looking absolutely proud as hell that he did such an amazing job. After a quick feeding by Koala, and a burping by Sabo, (leading to the man tearing up at how tiny and cute it was; Who knew even a burp could be adorable?), he had allowed Luffy to hold her once again, much to Koala’s pleasure as she was able to get some sleep after such a strenuous day.

Sabo had parked himself beside his wife’s bed, watching her closely as she slept. He’d read nearly every pregnancy book he could get his hands on, and being the worrier that he was, couldn’t let his guard down in case something happened.

Luffy looked down at the girl in his arms, smiling wide. He couldn’t believe his brother had made something so cute!

She was sleeping soundly, breathing quietly against her fist. He wondered if she would grow up to have Koala’s big brown eyes to go with her fuzz of blonde hair that she’d obviously gotten from Sabo. He gently touched her cheek, letting out a small sigh.

“Something is wrong,” Luffy suddenly pulled his eyes away from the infant in his arms, holding her out to Sabo. “I need to check on Ace.”

“Luffy?” Sabo stood, walking over to him and scooping the girl up. “What do you mean?”

“I just...I have a bad feeling.” he shook his head, quickly making his way out of the room and back down the hall. He looked around, swallowing hard as he approached the older man’s room.

He pushed open the door, looking around quickly.

“Luffy?” Marco sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He’d curled up beside the man once the blonde was gone, having drifted off almost immediately. “Is everything okay?”

“Wake him up,” Luffy stood from his wheelchair, making his way over to the bed. “Wake him up!”

Marco frowned, looking down at the man and cupping his cheek softly. “Ace, Luffy is here.”

Both men were silent as they waited, watching the freckled man on the bed. He was unresponsive.

“Ace, this isn’t funny.” He pushed his shoulder, eyes wide. “For fucks sake, Ace!”

“We need help!” Luffy turned, eyes glassed over with tears as he rushed to the door. “My brother needs help!”

“What’s going on?” Chopper was the first to arrive, rushing to the man’s side. He pressed his stethoscope on his chest, moving it around a bit as he listened. He frowned, grabbing his pen light from his pocket and gently opening the man’s eyes.

“What’s wrong with him?” Luffy stepped closer to him, grabbing the doctor’s arm. “He was fine just a little while ago!”

“We’re going to figure that out, Luffy.” He quickly sent out a page before turning back to Ace, “I need to intubate him, you may want to look away.”

Luffy shook his head, moving closer to the bed and taking the man’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “He’s my brother, I’m not leaving!”

Chopper nodded slowly, eyes wide. “As long as you stay out of the way, that’s fine.”

 

* * *

 

Law had his hands in his pockets as he approached the waiting room, looking to Luffy and Marco. He’d been called in as soon as the man had found Ace unresponsive in the bed beside him. An MRI had proven exactly what Law was afraid of...a blood clot had formed at the surgical site and traveled to his brain.

He took a deep breath, sitting in one of the chairs across from them.

“Torao...” Luffy looked up, tears already forming in his eyes. He knew that look.

“I’m so sorry,” he bit his lip, “He’s alive, but...The blood clot cut off the circulation to his brain, And...the damage is done. There’s nothing we can do...” he took a deep breath, “He’s brain dead.”

Marco covered his mouth, lip quivering as he doubled over in his chair, letting out a harsh sob. He gripped his arm, shoulders shaking with each sob.

Luffy was silent for a few moments, tears streaming down his cheeks as he tried to process what the man had said.

“I thought he was okay,” he sniffed, pressing his palm against his eye. “I wasn’t even asleep for very long...”

Luffy looked up, slowly wiping his cheek. “So...he won’t wake up?” He gripped his shorts, letting out a shaky breath. “He...he’s not going to wake up?”

Law shook his head slowly, taking a deep breath. “No, Luffy...I’m so sorry...”

Marco looked at the man beside him, reaching out and taking his hand. He squeezed it right, trying to hold back the second wave of tears. “Luffy...he made me promise something.”

Luffy turned, looking to Marco as he tried again to wipe his cheeks off. “What...?”

He gave a forced smile, squeezing his hand again. “He wanted to give you his heart. He...he made me promise that if he died, I would make sure you took it.”

“I...” the younger man looked down at his lap, shoulders beginning to shake. “I don’t know...”

“It is an option.” Law’s voice was soft as he reached out, placing his hand on the man’s knee. “As next of kin you have the ability to decide where his organs go, and if you need them, then...you have the choice to take it for yourself.”

“Can...Can I talk to Sabo first?” He looked up, “Sabo should have a say in it too.”

The doctor nodded, moving closer as he pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug, holding his smaller frame tightly against his own.

He was still for a moment before his body began to shake, hands moving up to grip the man’s shirt. He pressed his face against the crook of his neck, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Now, Law had been a surgeon for quite a while. He’d told a lot of families their brothers, sisters, sons and daughters had died on his table. He’d heard a lot of screams, a lot of crying, and a lot of angry words. But the screams currently coming from his boyfriend, the shrill sobs emitting from his tiny, usually happy, excited boyfriend...he’d never heard anything like that.

“Oh Luffy...” he rubbed the man’s back gently, reaching up and cupping the back of his head. “I’ve got you, it’s going to be okay...”

“He promised!” Luffy’s voice was muffled against the man’s lab coat, “H-he promised he wouldn’t die! He said he’d always be there!”

“I know, I know....” he rocked the two of them gently, kissing any part of his head he could reach from this position. “It hurts, I know...”

Luffy pulled back, eyes wide and full of more tears Law even thought was possible. “He was okay, and then...”

Law nodded, cupping his cheek lightly. “These things happen so fast, Luffy...there’s not much we can do.” He bit his lip, “Can you stay here with Marco, while I go get your brother?”

The brunette nodded, wiping his cheeks off before looking to the man beside them. He reached out, taking Marco’s hand and holding it tightly. “Yeah...”

He stood, kissing the top of Luffy’s head before going off to find Sabo.

“He loved you,” Luffy sniffed, gripping the man’s hand. “He really did, he...he talked about you all the time, and he was so excited to propose...”

Marco looked up, cheeks stained with tears and eyes half lidded.

“He loved you too.”

 

* * *

 

Sabo had reacted just as Law had predicted. He had looked to Law with a certain fire in his eyes, a look that said ‘I have to be strong for my baby brother’. The crying would come later, when he was alone, or had his wife to comfort him. Just not in front of Luffy.

He took a deep breath, turning to look at said brother with a small smile. “Ace would want you to have his heart.” He set his hand on Luffy’s shoulder, struggling to keep the tears from overflowing. “You know Ace would have done anything for you, and...giving you his heart...”

Luffy brought his head up, looking at the blonde with wide eyes. Taking his brother’s heart...?

“I...” He reached up, gripping his shirt tightly in his fist. “I don’t know if I can...”

He wanted a heart, of course he wanted a heart, but...feeling Ace’s heart beating in his chest, to feel his brother every moment of every day, could he live with that? Could he live with the fact that his brother had to die just so he could live?

“Luffy, look at me.” Sabo reached up, cupping his cheeks gently. “You want to know how much Ace loved you? He kept every drawing you made from kindergarten to your senior year of high school. Every newspaper clipping of you making the honor roll? We have it. That paper you wrote about how cool giraffes are? We still fucking have it.” He rubbed his cheek, tears beginning to drip down his own, “Ace loved you more than anything in this whole world, and he doesn’t want his organs to be buried with him. Not when his little brother is going to die without a new heart.”

Luffy sniffed, reaching up and placing his hands on top of his brother’s. “He wanted me to have it...?”

“Yes, He did. He told us all, he made us promise that if he died and you still needed a heart, you would take it.” He leaned in, kissing his forehead. “Taking his heart would make him so happy.”

The younger man began to cry once again, lip quivering as he tried so hard to keep his tears from flowing. He looked up to Law, swallowing hard. “Can...can we say goodbye first...?”

Law nodded, hands in the pockets of his lab coat. “Of course. You can come see him and say your goodbyes before we prep you for the transplant.”

Sabo stood, helping Luffy back into his wheelchair as he began pushing the man towards the hall. He paused, turning to Marco then and holding his hand out. “You too...come on. You’re family.”

Marco looked up, taking the man’s hand and holding it tight as he stood, nodding to the two as they made their way down the hall.

Sabo pushed open the door to the hospital room, hating how quiet it was. Ace was never quiet. Ace was loud, he was feisty, he was everything but quiet. He never stopped talking, never stopped moving, never stopped making any kind of noise. But there he was, laying there silently on the bed.

Luffy wheeled himself up to the bed, taking his brother’s hand and holding it tightly. It was still warm, and he let out a small laugh, because his brother was always warm. His brother was a heater. The best guy to cuddle up to on a cold winter night. The best guy to huddle with when your hospital blanket is too thin to keep in the warmth.

Marco walked up to the other side of the bed, pushing the man’s hair back. He stared down at his fiancé’s face, tears blurring his vision as he cupped his cheek gently. He would give anything to hear him laugh again, hear him call him a dumbass pineapple. See him blush over his tan skin, see his freckles pop with his grin. He’d give anything to hear him yell in Portuguese again, hear him talk about Brazil and how proud he was to be the handsome, tan skinned, Brazilian boy he was.

He leaned down, kissing his forehead gently as he sniffed. “I love you, Ace. And I hope that somewhere, somehow you can hear that...”

Luffy squeezed Ace’s hand tightly, bringing it up to his lips and kissing the knuckles softly. “I love you, Ace...thank you for this...” he smiled, closing his eyes. “For saving me.”

Sabo approached the bed, taking a deep breath as he placed a hand on Luffy’s back. He reached out with his other hand, rubbing Ace’s shoulder softly. “Goodbye, Ace...” he bit his lip, giving his brother’s shoulder a squeeze. “We love you, all of us, we do...”

Luffy pulled back a bit, turning to Law with wide eyes. He looked broken, the light that was usually shining behind his eyes was blown out.

“I’m ready.”

 

* * *

 

Luffy’s hospital room was packed. Sabo had called all of the man’s friends as soon as he was taken away for surgery, explaining the situation to them as they arrived.

Sanji was asleep in Zoro’s arms, head resting on the man’s shoulder as he had been pulling a twelve hour shift in the restaurant when he received the call.

Nami was sitting beside Vivi on the couch opposite the bed, leg bouncing quickly as she squeezed one of Vivi’s hands with both of her own. Vivi was occupying herself with stroking the woman’s hair with her free hand, watching the bed for any signs of life.

Usopp was standing by the bed, pacing back and forth as he listened to the steady beeps of the machines. He was used to hospitals, with his mother and Kaya, but it didn’t make this any easier.

Chopper was waiting beside Sabo, holding his hand tightly. He was still young, and still innocent, and he had grown attached to the young heart patient. He hated losing any patients, but if he lost Luffy...

Law was in one of the uncomfortable chairs by the bed, holding Luffy’s hand in both of his. His eyes were closed tight, thumbs gently rubbing the man’s knuckles. He refused to admit it, but he was scared. He was terrified, even. He’d done plenty of heart transplants in his life and he knew how easily things could go to shit.

The second Luffy moved, everyone jumped. It was barely anything, just a small shift in the bed as he began to wake up. He scrunched his eyes shut before opening them slowly, looking around. “Did it work?”

“Luffy!” Law stood, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks as he cupped the younger man’s face in his hand. “Oh my god, Luffy!”

“You’re awake!” Zoro sat up, quickly pushing Sanji’s shoulder to wake him up as well.

“Luffy!” Nami stood, rushing to the side of the bed, “Hey!”

Usopp covered his mouth, grinning down at the man. “Hey Luff...”

Luffy reached up, placing his hand above his heart as he felt it beating evenly for once in his life. He let out a small sigh, closing his eyes. He could feel his brother’s heart pounding, he could feel it pumping warm blood across his body. He could feel his brother’s love inside of his chest, and he loved it.

“How are you feeling?” Law reached over, pushing his bangs back.

He looked up, grinning at his boyfriend. “I feel healthy, Law.”

“Well for once in your life, I can agree.” He leaned down, kissing him softly.

“You’re going to be okay.”


	11. Epilogue

“Monkey D Luffy, one year post op from a heart transplant.” Chopper grinned, looking up at the young man on the bed. “How are you feeling, Luffy?”

“Great!” He laughed and threw his arms up, “I feel awesome!”

“No problems since the surgery?” Chopper approached him with his stethoscope, placing it on his chest.

Luffy shook his head, kicking his feet happily. “Nope! I even started playing soccer this year!”

“That’s great, Luffy!” The small doctor stepped back, putting his stethoscope around his neck again. “It looks like you’re doing really well!”

The young man leaned forward, eyes wide. “So, are you saying...”

Chopper grinned, throwing his hands up. “You’re completely free of heart disease!”

Luffy practically launched himself off the bed, grabbing the small doctor and spinning them around in a tight, laughter filled hug.

“Thank you, Chopper!” He set the doctor down again, placing his hand atop his chest. He loved feeling the steady beat beneath his hand, and knowing it wasn’t going to change.

 

* * *

 

Luffy had moved in with Sabo and Koala once he was discharged from the hospital, not ready to move in with Law just yet, and also wanting to spend as much time with his new niece as possible. It was nearly Christmas, one of Luffy’s favorite holidays, and he couldn’t wait to share it with Rouge.

Sabo was curled up on the couch, holding a mug of hot chocolate tight in his hands. Koala preferred to cook alone, since Sabo always burnt everything, so he was enjoying a few moments alone.

Luffy was in the room as well, holding his niece gently on his hip as he was pointing out all the ornaments on the Christmas tree.

“And you see this ornament up here?” Luffy grinned, reaching out and gently touching a spade hanging from the tree. “This one is for your uncle Ace!” He looked down at the small child in his arms, holding onto his hat with her chubby little hands.

“And Ace loved you, he got to meet you the day you were born.” He leaned down, kissing the top of her head. “He loved you a lot, you’re even named after his mom!”

The little girl looked up, eyes wide and full of curiosity as she stared at her uncle. She had no idea what he was saying half the time, but he was always so happy! Everything he said was exciting!

“Luffy,” Koala rounded the corner into the living room, smiling softly. “Is Rouge with you?”

“Yeah, I’ve got her!” He turned, bringing Rouge’s hand up to wave at the woman. “See? She’s saying ‘hi mommy! Uncle Luffy has me!’”

The woman laughed and pulled off her apron, setting it on the back of one of the dining room chairs. “She’s not being too much trouble, is she?”

Luffy shook his head, rubbing her back lightly. “No! She’s a little angel. I love watching her.” He held her close, kissing the top of her head.

Koala nodded, walking into the living room and opening her arms. “How about we get you fed before mommy’s dinner is ready, huh?”

Rouge seemed to perk up at the idea of dinner, leaning towards the woman and opening her own arms to show Koala she wanted to go over to her.

Luffy helped Rouge into Koala’s arms before sighing, sitting down on the couch beside the blonde. He looked to his brother, his smile falling. “Sabo?”

Sabo looked up, eyes half lidded. “Oh...hey. How are you feeling?”

The younger man sighed, shrugging weakly. “I’m alright. But...Christmas doesn’t feel the same without Ace.”

“I know...” he bit his lip, glancing down at the younger man’s chest. It had been a year since they’d lost Ace, and neither man was over the sudden death just yet.

Luffy followed his gaze down to his chest before smiling softly, wrapping his arms around his big brother as he lay back on the couch. He tucked Sabo’s head under his chin, rubbing his back lightly. They’d done this quite a few times since Ace died, and Luffy really didn’t mind. All Sabo really wanted was to hear Ace’s heartbeat again.

Sabo closed his eyes, his ear pressed against Luffy’s chest as he gripped his shirt. Ace was his best friend, and learning to live without his brother and best friend was much harder than he thought it would be.

But laying here, feeling the warmth from Luffy, and hearing the steady beat inside his chest, he felt a bit better. Knowing his brother was at least able to do something amazing before he died, knowing that his brother would have given anything to see Luffy leave the hospital, he felt at peace.

He sighed, his lips twitching into a soft smile as he held Luffy close.

“Merry Christmas, Ace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, three weeks later, at the end. This has been an amazing journey with you all and I’m so glad you all enjoyed the story as much as you did! You’ve made this so rewarding and I can’t thank you all enough. Stay tuned for more works in this universe, as I have lots planned! Thanks for reading!


End file.
